Angry customers flood TripAdvisor with negative reviews after cafe bans all children under 12

THIS popular cafe took a drastic measure to crack down on “screaming” children. The reaction has been mixed.

OUTRAGED customers have flooded a UK cafe with one-star TripAdvisor reviews after it banned all children under the age of 12.

But many also defended Fifteen on the Corner, located in Lichfield, north of Birmingham, describing the policy as a “refreshing change”.

“We used to go to Fifteen on the Corner every weekend for breakfast, bacon sandwiches and coffee with my five-year-old son while my daughter was at dancing,” wrote one reviewer.

“We got on well with the people who ran the cafe and felt very welcome there until one morning we were turned away by a rude middle-aged man who said they no longer allowed children into the cafe.

“I often walk past and smile now that I see the cafe is now half empty and has enraged half of the parents in Lichfield with their shortsighted and discriminatory policy.”

Another user said they had “never felt so discriminated” against. “Believe it or not, a coffee shop believes it has the right to ban and shout, rather rudely, that under 12s were not permitted,” they wrote.

“Am not sure this is actually legal, sure you cannot ban because of colour, religion, nationality but appears you can ban because of age from eating a cake and drinking a latte. Really hoping this place, who are not brave enough to make [their] discriminatory decision general with a sign, goes out of business quickly.”

Many customers slammed the decision.

While others defended the move.

One woman described her disappointment and shock at the “rudeness and discriminatory attitude of our once favourite coffee shop”.

“Today was my first visit out to Lichfield post-labour and difficult C-section and myself and my husband limped proudly with our 12-day-old baby to our favourite coffee shop to enjoy our favourite coffee and tea cake breakfast,” she wrote.

“Shortly after we were to be joined by family members who also would’ve joined in on food and drink purchases.

“We had hardly pushed the pram two metres into the shop before the normally friendly male manager ... barred our way like some nightclub bouncer holding out his arms to prevent us entering any further stating, ‘No children under 12.’

“To say I’m disappointed with Fifteen on the Corner is an understatement. The cafe was half empty, my baby was fast asleep ... If he had woken up and started screaming the place down I would’ve taken him outside as a matter of course anyway.”

In response to the backlash, a number of customers posted reviews defending the cafe. “What a wonderful peaceful coffee shop, the no children policy is an absolute blessing,” wrote one reviewer.

Another praised the “excellent service, first-rate coffee, relaxed atmosphere, and no noisy children”. “Perfect for adults who don’t want to imagine themselves in a creche,” they wrote.

One person described it as a “welcome haven” compared with other cafes in the area which were a “scrum of kids and pushchairs”, while another woman said it was “perfect for a nice afternoon in peace and quiet”.

“As someone who cannot stand children or having a quiet coffee on a day off ruined by screaming brats, this place is a breath of fresh air,” she wrote. “Take note ‘yummy mummys’, people without children like to enjoy a day off without hearing yours screaming and wiping their dirty [mitts] over my jacket on the back of a seat.”

One user said the no children policy was “great news”. “For those of use who dislike watching mothers breastfeed their babies in public and who also dislike dirty nappies to be changed on the table in front of customers we have a very ‘forward thinking’ establishment,” he wrote.

Approached by The Daily Mail for comment, a female worker at the shop confirmed the ban but said the owner was “out of the country until next week so there’s nobody here that can comment”.

[e-mail]