Catering policies; what is the restaurant's responsibilities?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Tonight at my DGD's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's I noticed several children unsupervised. My DD paid an extreme amount of money to have a package, which included Chuck E. Cheese himself singing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl as well as dancing with her and her party guests. I had no problem with the several children coming up hugging Chuck E. Cheese and saying hello to him, even though he made a trip though the restaurant to say hello to the children who were not at the party in the rest of the restaurant. However, I did have a problem when these several of children, particularly 2 who stayed when Chuck E Cheese and the 2 store personnel told the party guests to help him sing to my DGD. I am trying to get pictures of him with my DGD and her guests and these children were in the middle! My DGD suffered none, but I am left to wonder what is my (or my DD's) duty at that point and what is up to the store personnel? I feel that the personnel, who were given a huge amount of money should have shooed the children away and told them that Chuck E. would come see them in a few when he was finished with his party.

One child, whom I had already talked to the manager about the women she came with for using such vulgar language that it would make a sailer blush, out loud in front of children, was particularly in need of attention and affection. The two women she was with were arguing about something on the other side of the restaurant. I don't know where the mother was for this child at the time the party was during the singing and cake phase, but once I started cutting the cake and Chuck E. Cheese was leaving, this child wanted her share of birthday cake. She couldn't be more than 4 or 5 years old. I politely told her that she needed to go see her mommy because this was a private party.

My question is that at parties where the "catering" is done by a restaurant at the restaurant, what is the duty of the restaurant when other guests come, who are obviously unknown to the guest and interfere with the restaurant's entertainment for that party?

[barbszy]

I don't know the policies, but I imagine it's difficult to manage all that at a place where you can have private parties at the same time as other customers can come in as a family to use the facility. The restaurant has no way of knowing who's a party guest and who's a customer (not attending a party).

I'd contact the manager of the facility and discuss your concerns.

[cat lover]

One of my cousins usesd to be a manager at a Chuck E. Cheese's. She said it was always up to the parents of the children to restrain them (as she said); they couldn't interfere because they had no idea who "belonged" with what party.

You telling the children to go back to their mommy was about all you could do, but I would complain to the manager about it anyway. It isn't fair to your party guests to have others interupt. I would think if the child was talking in such a manner as you described I would have gone to management at that time and explained to them you wanted that child removed or under the control of their parents.

I have a real problem with parents that let them children run wild in a restaurant; even in one that gives children's parties. You would think they would see their childen interupting another's party and tend to it, but so many parents now just let the kids run wild and never say a word to them. And people wonder why so many kids are rude and disrespectful as they grow older and on their own! I'd better shut up now! LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thanks. Actually, it was a parent who was using foul language. I did go to the manager, who I wasn't sure was out of his teens yet and he seemed unconcerned.

I didn't say anything about the kids coming up to Chuck E. Cheese becaese the children who were a part of the party didn't seem to care. The personnel did know that the children, 2 in particular, weren't a part of the party. Also, I wasn't sure if the big production by Chuck E. Cheese was for party guests only or if anyone could come up and say hi to him and hug him. There were a few kids who had parents who were supervising them. They allowed the kids to come up and say their hellos, hug him, and leave. I heard those parents say, "Honey, this is for a little girl's party." I am just amazed at how many ppl seemed to use the restaurant as a babysitter while the parents ate dinner. I thought it was sad. Most parents though we afraid to let their children out of their sites. Whichever GK I had, I did not mind asking a child if he/she wanted to sit in and join as the parent was there with them.

So, in our position, we didn't know if Chuck E. Cheese was just for our party or for anyone who wanted to join? I didn't mind other kids joining in. It was the kids who were hogging him, so to speak, and their parents were nowhere around. My DD was a little peeved about the personnel paying more attention to these kids than to the birthday girl. I told her that since my DGD didn't notice and was so busy having fun, I wouldn't make a deal out of it.

However, it did get me to thinking about catered events. I wondered if I was at a catered event that I had paid for and it was at a public facility, should the facilty make sure the paying party is the only one being served by handing out name tags or something or is it really the job of the paying party to make sure other guests don't interfere?

We did something similar when my DD graduated hs. We had a dinner for her and a few family and friends at a restaurant. However, we were in a party section and it wasn't designed for children. We never had a problem with anything. They were told how many were in our party and took note of who got what and where they were seating. It was a wonderful experience.

[cat lover]

Just from past experience usually parties that have a separate room for the private parties works out best. That way others can be ushered out if they don't belong there. That sometimes is hard to do with chidren's parties though as not many places have separate rooms for them. It would be interesting to ask some of these places how they handle others that aren't part of your "party" though . Sounds like a good poll!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

When my DD told me a while back where she was having my DGDs birthday party and the cost for having it, I advised her to keep birthday parties simple. But she said that her DD wanted to have it there because of the commercials. The cake was single layer 1 round cake. I told her that her daddy and I, the grandparents take the GKs to Chuck E. Cheese's when they come visit me in Cruces. Now my DD regrets doing it. I asked her to tell me about any birthdays that she remembered as being special as a child. She could only remember 2. One she was 3 and all she remembers is that her uncle, my brother taught her how to change the channels on the television set and that she wore a beautiful yellow dress and got a rocking chair. The other wonderful birthday party, she remembers a Barbie cake which the dress was made of cake and after the party was over her and one friend camped outside in a tent. I reminded her that the 2 birthdays that she had were simple. I know we cooked out for one of them. I told her that kids don't know any better.

The restaurant party didn't hurt the DGD. She had a blast. It made me wonder if it had been my child and she wanted to hug Chuck E. Cheese, but couldn't would it have been worth bring firm with other children so she could be the center of attention? I honestly don't think this restaurant was managed well at all. Children were playing with the robotic Chuck E Cheese display on the stage, next to our party, and jumping off the stage. The manager should have been making "walk throughs" to make sure that was not happening as their restaurant could be sued by the very parents who aren't watching their own children if one of the children were injured.

The Chuck E Cheese where I go to school requires everyone in one party to be stamped with a number or something upon entrance so that children won't be kidnapped by an adult who is not in that party. It also seems well supervise, but then again, we are always there during slow times. This party took place during a Friday evening.

I agree, a party in a separate room is best. It is so much easier to tell uninvited guests to leave. I think that there were basically 2 children that I had a major problem with. Once I did push aside one girl and told her that I was trying to get a picture without her in it.

[cat lover]

Glad your DGD had a good time though, maybe she didn't really notice the problems. You are right about it not being supervised well, kids aren't allowed on the stage with the robotics! I would defintely call or email the headquarters about the whole night; sounds like your DD deserves a refund of some sorts!

[ajrsmom]

Im glad to hear that your DGD had a good time overall.

I know that it would've bugged me when I started taking pictures if the other kids were in the way. I would've asked (more like demanded only in a nice way ;)) the staff to remove those kids.

I would call the manager of the place and explain the situation. If you get nowhere with him, I am sure that you can contact the upper managment of the company online and ask to have someone with a position over this manager to contact you.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Unfortunately, when I talked to the manager, who couldn't have been over 22, about the woman cursing out another woman, I discovered that he was a joke and more interested in the young girls that worked there. I am seriously thinking about letting the corporate office know about it before they get sued.

[cat lover]

Sounds like a good thing to do. I would go ahead and do it now though, sometimes waiting longer to make the complaint doesn't help. I know from others that have worked in the restaurant business that they have often commented that the longer a person takes to complian the less they take it serious because they have figured just over time the customer has gotten madder about the situatuion and maybe went on more than actually happened. So I would go ahead and contact the corporate office right away! Let us know if they help you or not; just nosey ole me! LOL

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I have been busy with school starting Thursday. (The police department sent me the wrong parking sticker, so I am going to have to stand in long, long, long, long, long, lines to get that corrected.) So, if I get time before school starts or maybe once it does and I get settled, I will contact the corporate office. If I do, I will be sure to let little ol' nosey you know about it. lol

[cat lover]

Hope you get your parking array straightened out without too much trouble! Just standing in those linmes is bad enough with evrything else to be done when school first starts! Good Luck!!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thank you! I am exhausted from running around the university and standing in lines to get various things. But, I am done. I do know that parking will be such a pain as one parking lot, my favorite, is closed because they are doing repairs to a building and they took half of the parking at another parking lot for some type of specialty parking.