A West End restaurant owner’s decision to ban children under 15 from her dining room is stirring up debate over who should be welcome as a patron. Christine Pattison’s Miss Christine’s Kitchen on 878 Ellice Ave. has been offering pickup orders and plans to welcome dine-in guests with a catch —you need to be older than 14. “I decided to open up this space mainly for adults,” Pattison told CTV News on Monday. “Fifteen-year-olds are not adults, but they also deserve a break … because they take the brunt of it when they go with their family. They are the ones that are always chasing after the kids.” She hopes to open the dining room by the end of November, but the date could slip as her decision is drawing controversy. Pattison said she has received many supportive messages, but some people have called the policy discriminatory, a characterization she rejects. “It’s not like you can’t eat my food. You have the option of picking up … so I don’t see where the discrimination is coming in. People are trying to say, ‘I’m new to Canada, I don’t know what I’m talking about, I have to follow the rules and the laws of this country.’” CTV News spoke with four people about the policy, and opinion was evenly split. “If it’s a restaurant, there should be no age limit. It’s not like it’s a bar where you’re serving drinks. I think parents should have the right to take their children to a restaurant,” one person said after describing the decision as odd. “We live in a world right now that is excluding enough people. And by excluding youngsters from going to restaurants with their families and friends – I think our world needs more inclusion instead of exclusion,” another woman concurred. “Go to somewhere else then. You know (the rule) going in, so why go there and why make an issue?” one individual said. “For me, it’s perfectly fine. It depends on the owner, but it’s their property, right? They could choose whatever the customer they wanted to be in the restaurant,” a man said. Pattison said she has left a voicemail with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission to confirm she is not violating any laws. However, until she hears back, she said she will not reverse the decision. “There’s nothing in here for a child. It’s very tiny, it’s an intimate space, there’s nowhere to run around. So if you want to come in here and have a look – they’re more than welcome to,” Pattison said. “But, I’m not backing down. I’m sticking to my guns.”
