Newtown Hotel refuses kids meal to 16-year-old

A mother has called on a Queensland hotel to “be more human” after her teen daughter, who has autism and an intellectual disability, was left distraught when they refused to serve her a kid’s meal because she wasn’t under 12.

Cherie Pugno calls for more understanding after her 16-year-old daughter Mia, who is intellectually disabled, was refused a meal from the children's menu at the Newtown Hotel. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A Toowoomba mother has told a Queensland pub to “be more human” after her teenager daughter, who has autism and an intellectual disability, was told she could not have the kids nuggets and chips meal because she was too old.

Sixteen-year-old Mia Pugno was out with her support worker for lunch at Newtown Hotel in Toowoomba and was distraught after she realised she could not have her regular chicken nuggets, chips and gravy because she wasn’t under 12.

Cherie Pugno calls for more understanding after her 16-year-old daughter Mia, who is intellectually disabled, was refused a meal from the children's menu at the Newtown Hotel, Thursday, June 27, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

When Mia’s mother Cherie Pugno heard what happened she said she called up the hotel and, rather than apologise, the hotel manager stuck to their guns and told her it was their “policy”.

As part of living with autism and an intellectual disability, 16-year-old Mia Pugno relies on sticking to routines to ensure predictability and security – one of those routines is a pub meal of chicken nuggets, chips and gravy, Mrs Pugno said.

“She (Mia) loves a good pub meal and we’ve been there (Newtown Hotel) three or four times before,” her support worker Stefanie Martinelli said.

Sixteen-year-old Mia Pugno was not allowed to order off the kids menu at Newtown Hotel as she was over 12 years of age. Mia with her sister Chiara.

“She has the same thing every day and that’s fine, that’s what works for her.”

As Ms Martinelli was ordering off the kid’s menu, the server asked if Mia was under 12 years of age.

“I was like, ‘well, no’,” Ms Martinelli said.

“I wasn’t going to lie, that’s just not in my moral standing.”

She claimed she was then told it was not their policy to serve kids meals to people over the age of 12 and offered the chicken schnitzel.

Shocked, Ms Martinelli said she tried to explain that Mia only eats the nuggets and chips and offered to pay extra to get the nuggets.

“ I had never had an issue before,” she said.

“It was such a bizarre interaction.”

The Newtown Hotel is owned by Hakfoort Group which also owns Burke & Wills Hotel in Toowoomba along with three other hotels in Brisbane.

Not wanting to cause a scene Ms Martinelli left the hotel with Mia.

“When we got into the car, it finally hit her (Mia) that we weren’t having chips and nuggets and she had a meltdown in classic Mia fashion,” she said.

“She was quite distraught and dysregulated,” Ms Martinelli said.

The situation was saved by going to another pub which did serve Mia chicken nuggets, chips and gravy, she said.

Sixteen-year-old Mia Pugno was not allowed to order off the kids menu at Newtown Hotel as she was over 12 years of age. Mia with her father Jason Pugno.

“It just made me really irritated because some people don’t eat a big meal and usually pub meals are quite large,” she said.

“I was just really irritated and quite livid at one point.”

When they returned home Ms Martinelli told Mrs Pugno about what had happened.

Mrs Pugno claimed she then called up the hotel manager, who offered no apology.

Mrs Pugno said she even offered to pay the adult’s price in the future so Mia could have nuggets and chips.

“He said: ‘No, that’s our policy and that was it and they hope I understand’,” she said.

“I said no, I don’t.

“We’ve spent 15 years trying to get to the point where we can go out in public and you put all this effort in and then it gets turned around so quickly.”

Both Mrs Pugno and Ms Martinelli said they were shocked at the lack of flexibility, compassion and understanding.

Mrs Pugno said she’d like to have an apology from the hotel, but mostly for them to “be more flexible if someone comes in that is a bit different”.

“Just be human.”

The Newtown Hotel was contacted and provided no comment.

Originally published as Newtown Hotel refuses kids meal to 16-year-old