What to know
- Winnipeg restaurant owner Christine Patterson is going viral after introducing a policy prohibiting children under 15 from dining inside her Jamaican restaurant, Miss Christine’s Kitchen.
- Patterson says the decision stems from years of witnessing children disrupting other diners, with older siblings often left responsible for supervising younger children.
- After eight years of running her business, she says she wants to create an affordable, intimate dining space where adults can enjoy a meal and conversation without interruptions.
- While the announcement has attracted criticism online, Patterson says she has received hundreds of supportive emails from people across Canada.
- Miss Christine’s Kitchen is set to open Nov. 30 on Winnipeg’s Ellice Avenue.
A Winnipeg restaurant owner has people talking after she implemented a simple, yet controversial rule: no kids in her establishment.
Jamaican restaurant owner Christine Patterson is making headlines after introducing a policy prohibiting children under the age of 15 from dining inside her establishment, sparking a heated conversation about family-friendly businesses and the right to create an adults-only space.
But Patterson explains that the policy isn’t about keeping children away. It’s about giving adults somewhere to enjoy a meal without the distractions and responsibilities that often come with parenting.
The Jamaica-native has operated her restaurant independently for eight years, recently finding herself at the centre of an online debate after sharing the new policy online. While the post attracted criticism from some people who questioned the restriction, Patterson says the overwhelming response has been supportive.
She explained that her approach to dining has evolved considerably over the years. During the first five years of running her business at the Chalet Hotel, she welcomed families with children of all ages. But she says she began noticing a recurring problem: parents would bring their younger children along, leaving older siblings, often in the tweens and early teens, responsible for keeping them entertained.
She recalled watching teenagers spend their meals chasing after younger brothers and sisters while their parents sat at the table.
“I said, but that is not fair. Everybody coming here to eat,” Patterson said, describing how she would sometimes approach parents about their children’s behaviour.
“I would go over there and I would say, ‘Excuse me, lady,’ and they would be looking surprised. I’m like, ‘Why [are] you having your child running after their siblings?’ I said, but that is not fair. Everybody’s coming here to eat, and then they’d start telling me I’m too rude and they’re not gonna come back here anymore,” she explained.
“I said, you know what? Well, I appreciate that because my other diners don’t appreciate you sitting down while your kids are running around like it’s a jungle gym in here. It’s not a jungle gym.”
The situation became more challenging when she eventually moved into a smaller, more intimate café space, renting an area with seating for 29 people within a larger establishment. Despite assurances that families dining in the larger space would not disturb her customers, Patterson says children would still wander into her section, disrupting diners who had come for a quieter experience.
Eventually, she decided her next restaurant would be different. Patterson explained that she wanted to create an environment where adults could unwind, enjoy a meal and have uninterrupted conversations, something she believes parents deserve as well. She also stressed that her establishment isn’t intended to be an upscale fine-dining experience. Instead, she describes it as an affordable, comfortable space where customers can enjoy good food and a peaceful atmosphere.
The restaurant’s physical layout also played a role in her decision. Patterson says the space features lower lighting levels while being intimate and relatively small, with limited room for children to move around safely while servers navigate the dining area.
She even extended the policy to her own family, telling her seven grandchildren they would not be allowed inside the restaurant.
“If I can’t tell my own grandchildren that they’re not allowed in my place of business, what is wrong with these people?” she questioned.
The online reaction has brought both criticism and support, with Patterson saying that she has received hundreds of emails from people across the country, including Halifax, Montreal and Quebec. She explained that the Manitoba Human Rights Tribunal has also contacted her following the controversy.
“It’s a very thin line. They didn’t say that I’m discriminating, and they didn’t say I’m not. What they [did] say to me is that [if a] person… makes a complaint, they have to show proof that they have suffered adverse trauma.”
“So, oh, you’re gonna prove that you’re traumatized. What kind of traumatized?”
For Patterson, the distinction is simple: families are still welcome to purchase food, but children under 15 cannot dine inside.
“I wanted a restaurant for adults, and that was it,” she said.
“It’s not like [we’re the] one Jamaican restaurant in the city. The other ones accept children, but I don’t accept them here because I want my customers to have some peace and quiet.”
And while the conversation surrounding her policy continues, Patterson isn’t backing down. She says her priority remains the customers who have supported her business over the years and creating the kind of dining experience she believes they deserve.
Her new spot, Miss Christine’s Kitchen, is set to open Nov. 30 on Winnipeg’s Ellice Ave.
