Why Did a Coffee Shop Ban Children Under 12?

A coffee shop posted a sign at its entrance stating it does not welcome children under 12, citing the nature of its business and frequent incidents. The notice, which also read that some money is better left unearned, spread online and split opinion, with some calling it anti-child and others supporting the owner's right to set rules for the space.

The owner explained that after tourism reopened, parents brought children in without supervising them, and several incidents followed. In one case a child climbed onto the bar counter and spilled sour plum drink onto a coffee machine worth more than 90,000 yuan. The manager said the shop has no suitable drinks for children and that unsupervised visits caused losses, but added that in principle guests would not be turned away if children could be kept under control.

Recently, a coffee shop sparked heated discussion among netizens after posting a poster at its entrance stating that it does not welcome children under 12. The poster explicitly stated that due to the nature of its business and frequent incidents, it cannot accommodate children. Some netizens criticized the move as inciting anti-child sentiment, while others expressed understanding and support. The owner later posted an explanation, saying that after tourism reopened, parents brought their children into the shop but failed to supervise them, leading to multiple incidents—including one child who climbed onto the bar counter and splashed sour plum drink onto a coffee machine worth over 90,000 yuan. As the incident continued to escalate, media contacted the manager, who responded that the shop has no suitable drinks for children and that parents' failure to fulfill their supervisory duties caused losses, but that in principle the shop would not turn away guests if children could be kept under control. This article will review the course of events and the views of all parties.

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Recently, a poster placed at the entrance of a coffee shop stating that it does not serve children caused quite a stir online.

Judging from the images circulating online, the shop decided not to welcome children under 12 due to the nature of its business and the frequent accidents that had occurred. The poster also read, "Some money is better left unearned."

After the poster content was posted online for discussion, it quickly drew the displeasure of many netizens. Some pointed out that this approach was inciting dislike toward children and vilifying their image; others mentioned that although they themselves were not particularly fond of children, openly displaying such anti-child sentiment was nothing to be proud of.

Some netizens also felt that children differ in how well-behaved they are. If it is merely an innocent mistake, everyone should be tolerant, and parents should set an example by addressing it immediately. But if it is done intentionally and parents ignore it, that is "failure to teach is the father's fault," reflecting a problem with the parents' own character.

Of course, many netizens also welcomed such a rule. They believed that the environment and atmosphere of a coffee shop are simply not suitable for young children, and that an overly quiet space can make children feel uncomfortable or even anxious. Some netizens who are parents themselves admitted that what is most unbearable is when parents completely ignore their children, letting them run around and scream loudly.

Other netizens analyzed that this coffee shop's target customers are precisely those who do not have children and also dislike unruly children and their parents, and that opening a shop naturally includes the freedom to choose one's customers.

Faced with the controversy, the business also posted an explanation of why the poster was put up. The shop said that before this year it had no intention of restricting children from entering the shop. But after tourism reopened , it indeed faced a considerable degree of challenge. Parents brought their children to the shop, and after each ordering a coffee, they started looking at their phones, completely neglecting the children .

When children find something to amuse themselves out of boredom, it became a major source of instability in the shop. Whether a coffee shop should shut children out had no answer. Until because a child struggled to climb onto the bar counter and poured a cup of sour plum drink onto a coffee machine worth over 90,000 , only then did the shop make the decision to put up the poster.

But what the poster intended to convey was not "hating children," but rather that children's behavior is predictable and can be guided. By comparison, what we fear more is parents who watch their children act out of line and do nothing to intervene.

As the poster content continued to spark controversy, some media contacted the coffee shop manager. The manager explained that the decision was made for two reasons: on one hand, the shop only serves coffee and alcohol, with no drinks suitable for children; on the other hand, there had been multiple instances of parents bringing children into the shop but failing to keep them under control, leading to frequent accidents and considerable losses.

However, if parents bring their children into the shop and are able to manage their children's behavior, in principle the shop will not ask them to leave. Regarding the controversy triggered by the poster, the manager said that it is impossible to please everyone—some people very much like such a rule, while others strongly dislike it.

After implementing such a rule, the customer base with children will gradually be replaced by customers who prefer quiet. And if there is indeed a need to temporarily borrow the space or briefly settle children there, the shop will still offer plenty of support.

The shop owner also posted a response today regarding this incident.

Image source: Internet

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.