Rowdy children, "kids throwing rocks" lead Massachusetts brewery to post new rules for parents
The owner of a brewery in Norton, Massachusetts is putting his foot down to stop some misbehaving customers. The new rules are not for drunk adults. They're for customers with children.
"We're trying to be kind of the neighborhood's living room here. We want people to be able to come in and relax and hang out and meet friends, families as well," said Brian Shurtleff of Bog Iron Brewing.
But just like when you're a guest in someone else's living room, you can't be climbing on the coffee table. And so posted throughout the taproom, and printed in the menu, patrons of Bog Iron Brewing in Norton can't miss the memo - children must remain seated at the table with their parents.
"The social media post we put out went kind of viral. It got picked up on Reddit and there were thousands of comments," Shurtleff said.
Throwing rocks, jumping on tables
The brewery has a full kitchen and wants families to feel welcome - spending time together and enjoying a meal. But recent incidents gave them no choice but to adjust their policy.
"We literally more than once had kids throwing rocks into Route 123 right outside our beer garden. Throwing rocks around the beer garden. Climbing, jumping up and down on our picnic tables and stuff. It just got to be way too much," he added.
Back in the fall, Notch Brewing in Salem and Brighton established a kid curfew. After 6 p.m. only patrons 21 and older are allowed there.
"Just be considerate"
The Bog Iron owners say most people get it.
"He's doing the right thing. He's trying to keep everyone happy, and I don't think he's trying to shut out families, just asking them to mind their kids," said one Bog Iron patron.
"If you're doing it right then you've got a bunch of well-behaved kids, and it shouldn't be that hard to keep them at the table. I think having it as half the page on one of the pages of the menu might be a bit of overkill, but I completely understand his point," said another patron, who'd just attended the brewery's Father's Day event Sunday.
"Just be considerate of other guests. It's really that simple," said Shurtleff.
