Some parents angry over lack of high chairs at Earls

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Earls says it loves and welcomes families but it’s not a family restaurant.

The local chain is once again facing backlash from some parents over a lack of highchairs at many of its locations.

Just check some of the many comments left on online forums from new parents who’ve discovered Earls’ policies the hard way:

One young mother, who brought her 10-month-old son to the restaurant’s Langley location, calls it discrimination.

Parents with a nine-month-old baby who went to the Hornby location downtown post: “Shame on Earl’s [sic] for not providing such basic necessities.”

Earls makes no apologies, pointing out that “for over 10 years, [their] renovated restaurants have not, as a rule, offered the space for highchairs or seating that accommodates booster chairs,” adding they are “designed for the type of clientele who establish [their] restaurants, and requests for highchairs are rare.”

About a quarter of Earls’ older restaurants still offer highchairs and half have boosters, depending on location. The restaurant says parents are welcome to bring their own.

Not everyone is griping about making the restaurant less welcoming of children; one very pleased diner posts: “Not a high chair, crayon, or chicken tender in sight.”

In Victoria, another diner posts: “I am a parent too, but it is nice to be able to go to some restaurants without having to hear kids yelling and fussing and have some quiet adult time.”

Last year, a woman in the Lower Mainland made a complaint to the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the restaurant over its “Albino Rhino” line of beer and “Albino Wings Wednesday.” She claimed the marketing was demeaning to people with albinism.

Statement from Earls:

“Earls welcomes families with fresh, made from scratch delicious foods and warm friendly staff

Earls is a family owned restaurant group, still run by the Fuller’s, the same family that started it thirty years ago. Earls prepares all our food with fresh ingredients made from scratch, and as such dishes can be easily modified, this is just one of the things that set us apart from many “chain” restaurants. Our menu’s are very popular with young people however our restaurants do not offer a children’s menu, instead we find parents feel many of our appetizers are suitable or, those who wish to, ask for a modified menu preferring those fresh, healthy choices we prepare over a frozen, pre-prepared product other restaurants might offer.

Every restaurant has to make a choice as to what they offer based on their market; from the menu to the decor to the music they play and the volume they play it – even the lighting and the space between tables is a conscious choice of a restaurant. To that end, and although we at Earls love and welcome families, we would not classify ourselves as a family restaurant. For well over ten years our new or renovated restaurants have not, as a rule, offered the space for highchairs or seating that accommodates booster chairs. The restaurants, all of which are individually designed by a team made up exclusively of women, tend to be designed for the type of clientele who establish our restaurants, and requests for highchairs are rare.

Individual requests for products and services we don’t offer cannot always be accommodated, however where we see a location where a market changes, a business area becomes more residential with the advent of condominiums for example, we do our best to accommodate this new market. In some cases, this may include the addition of highchairs and booster chairs.

Some of our older restaurants do still have highchairs, approximately a quarter of our locations, and just over half our restaurants have booster chairs. Most of those are located in more suburban locations but where we do have a market that includes young families, highchairs and booster chairs are provided.  We suggest parents please call ahead should they wish to know if we carry these or are welcome to bring their own portable highchairs.”