Italian restaurant in New Jersey banning children under 10

TINTON FALLS, N.J. — An Italian restaurant in New Jersey has decided to ban children under 10 from dining at the popular eatery.

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Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in Tinton Falls announced on its social media platforms that beginning March 8, children under 10 will not be allowed to dine there.

“We love kids. We really, truly, do. But lately, it’s been extremely challenging to accommodate children at Nettie’s,” the restaurant wrote. “Between noise levels, lack of space for high chairs, cleaning up crazy messes, and the liability of kids running around the restaurant, we have decided that it’s time to take control of the situation.”

According to its website, the restaurant will be closed for its winter break from Feb. 20 to March 7. The age limit ban will go into effect the following day.

Nettie’s, described as a “retro-chic pasta joint” by NJ.com, was named the state’s 28th-best Italian restaurant by the news outlet.

An age-limit at a restaurant is not new.

In 2021, Red Rooster Burgers and Grill in Garden Valley, California, banned patrons under 18 unless they were accompanied by an adult, “Today” reported. The restaurant cited bad behavior from teens that caused damage at the business.

Another California restaurant, Old Fisherman’s Grotto in Monterey, made headlines in 2018 when it banned “crying children” or youths making “loud noises,” “Today” reported. The restaurant also had a “no stroller” police in effect since 2009.

Nettie’s did not respond to “Today’s” request for comment.

Officials at Nettie’s were apologetic but said recent events forced them to implement the ban.

“We know that this is going to make some of you very upset, especially those of you with very well-behaved kids, but we believe this is the right decision for our business moving forward,” the restaurant wrote on social media.