A Specific Family Was Banned From A Restaurant For Not Cleaning Up After Their "Messy” Kids

The debate about kids and restaurants rages on after a family was banned from going to a Mexican eatery in Seguin, Texas, because their children were too “messy.”

Selena Palomares vented on social media after a restaurant she says she and her family have been attending for over 15 years — Taco Tejano — turned them away earlier this month.

Palomares' mom was inside the restaurant grabbing a table and requesting high chairs for the kids while Palomares was getting her 2 and 3-year-old sons out of the car. A few moments later, Palomares' mom came out and said she was told by staff they weren't welcome inside the restaurant.

“I have my two children in my hands and that's when she pulls me to the side and she's like, ‘They said that we couldn't go inside and eat there because the kids make a mess and we don't clean up after them,’” Palomares said, per MySanAntonio.

Palomares decided to leave and post about the situation on social media instead confronting the restaurant staff. “Every time we go out to eat, I clean up after my kids, my kids aren't throwing chairs around, they're not running around the restaurant or tossing food across the restaurant—that's not what is happening,” she said.

At first, Palomares didn’t take the ban personally. However, once a social media post by the restaurant came to light, she might well have felt attacked.

“🗣️Get your Taco Tejano T-Shirt 🗣️ (Where kids are not welcomed🤣 JkJk) $20🤑Thanks,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post.

Taco Tejano Owner Alicia Sepeda did not shy away from admitting the post was directed at Palomares' comments online.

“It was because of all the comments that were made about the kids because we never said that period, it was said by her, but it wasn't said by us,” she said. “You have to find a little bit of humor in it when people bash you.”

Palomares claims that, like most kids, they drop food on the floor sometimes, she's never left a mess that, she believes, would cause a full-out ban.

“I just think that the situation was not handled correctly,” she said.

Sepeda did not shell out details about why the Palomares family was no longer welcome in her restaurant but did confirm that the ban was based on a recent visit — along with customer complaints.

“Based on the last time they were in here, I personally made the decision to refuse service to them. Basically, that was all that was said when the mom came in by herself,” she said. “Just because of certain issues we're going to refuse the right to service, period.”

“I really want to remain respectful to everyone involved. I made a professional business decision based on my customer complaints, and how employees were being treated and that was it,” she continued.

The restaurant shared another post on Facebook “clearing up” its policies and seemingly addressing the situation with the Palomares family again.

“We hate to have to make a post like this, but there are a few things we feel the need to clear up,” the post begins.

The post had five rules listed: The restaurant can refuse the right of service to anyone, they won't haggle on prices, they fix any mistakes they make, disrespecting employees will not be tolerated, and past employees don't work at the restaurant for a reason.

According to MySanAntonio, the next day, Palomares' mother and sister both went to the drive-thru to apologize for putting the restaurant on blast all over social media. Sepeda told the two she appreciated the apology, there are no “hard feelings,” and they are still allowed to order in the drive-thru.

When MySA asked if the family would be allowed back into the Seguin restaurant, she replied, “No.”

“If she's upset about that she could have called me, woman to a woman, and talked to me. I would have been more than happy to talk to her and explain to her why,” Sepeda said. “But at this point, it doesn't really matter why the decision was made and I'm going to stick by it, especially now.”

There is no shortage of opinions when it comes to the “rules” for kids in restaurants. Some restaurants are not tolerating children at all, including a restaurant in New Jersey than banned all kids under 10 years old, noting that “noise levels” and “cleaning up crazy messes” were not worth the trouble.

It’s hard to blame them considering some parents don’t bother picking up after their messy kids or even attempt to wrangle the back to the table after they escape from the booth. It’s a safety hazard and a disturbance to other guests. One set of parents went so far as to let their toddler relieve themselves in a travel potty in the dining area among other people eating.