Some Restaurants Don't Care About Babies

There's a new restaurant that opened on Main Street in Barre.  The building seems unable to hold a restaurant for any length of time--since I moved into this area in 2007, it's been a Chinese Buffet, then a breakfast buffet (charmingly called the Maple Leaf Pancake House).  Now it's the Granite City Restaurant, a Steak/Seafood/Pasta place.  The buffet tables have been re purposed as a salad bar, but they left the Chinese symbol carpets intact.  Super classy. 

My husband, sister-in-law, the smallman and I were out thrift-store-shopping yesterday, when we all decided that we were hungry and could do with some lunch (the smallman prompted that decision by needing a diaper change and a nursing session).  We decided, against my better judgment, that we'd try out the new place. I figured it didn't really matter where we went, as long as there were changing tables and a place for me to sit and nurse.  Every place has got one of those fold-down diaper changing things, right?

Wrong.

There are two ladies' bathrooms in the place, and neither one had a diaper changing table.  When I said something to the waitress, she wrinkled up her face in mock sympathy and said something to the effect of "Oh, nooooo!"  Like that helps.  Thanks a lot.

There was a couch in the entryway, which is where I changed Carlin.  I really appreciated changing my baby in front of everyone who came in and in the cold draft.  Thanks, restaurant.  Thanks a lot. 

Add that inconvenience to the fact that the food was firmly in the mediocre category, and we have made our first and last trip to that restaurant. 

Why don't restaurants consider babies to be their patrons, too?  If parents are happy, they'll come back again and order more food.  Or maybe that's just not part of their business model?  Maybe the restaurants that don't want to deal with children can just put up a sign that says something to the effect of "We hate you and your screaming offspring.  Go elsewhere if you have procreated."