Families with polite kids get discount at Italian restaurant
Tired of children misbehaving and interrupting other diners, an Italian wine bar has introduced a five per cent discount to reward patrons with polite children.
Antonio Ferrari owns the restaurant, located in Padua, northern Italy, which caters to families on Sundays. He came up with the idea when he was pleasantly surprised to see a family of 11, including five children, sitting quietly and composed.
Ferrari told The Local the discount was a way of showing his customers "we like having children here - as long as they behave".
Having managed the eatery for 12 years, Ferrari said he has seen his fair share of rude children, from those who climb on the tables with their shoes on, play in the bathroom and make a mess, run around tables and annoy the other customers. "We don't often get well-behaved children."
He explained the children, around four to six years old, were a "delight" to serve. He was particularly impressed when, after finishing their meals, the children worked on their times tables and colouring books as the parents drank their wine.
"The restaurant is essentially an enoteca (winery). We don't have a children's menu or any other special provisions, but on Sundays, parents often come and bring their children," he said to The Local.
The restaurant will continue to bestow the discount on dining parties with well-mannered children and hopes the novel solution will encourage patrons with disruptive children to rein them in.
The family who received the discount were delighted by the news and left a €30 ($44) tip, Ferrari said.
Italian Sunday lunches are often a long drawn-out affair, lasting more than three hours. They typically consist of five courses, starting with an antipasto platter, then fresh pasta, a main of meat or seafood, followed by vegetables and finally dessert.
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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