Ohio Chick-fil-A adopts 'Teen Chaperone Policy' requiring parents to accompany children
A Chick-fil-A restaurant near Dayton, Ohio now requires parents to accompany their children when visiting. The location shared its Teen Chaperone Policy via Facebook on Wednesday, August 13.
“With school starting, we wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of our Teen Chaperone Policy,” the restaurant said. “We are grateful for your support and want to make sure Chick-fil-A Kettering is a safe and enjoyable place for everyone! Thank you so much!”
A view of the outdoor seating available at a new Chick-fil-A location in Nanuet, New York. A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Ohio is banning minors from entering without a chaperone
Many social media commenters began poking fun at the restaurant’s policy because it requires minors to be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or adult chaperone 21 years or older to dine in.
If minors do not comply with the new policy, they may be asked to leave, the restaurant said.
One mother commented on the post, writing: “So, my 18-year-old daughter can’t take my 7-year-old daughter here without me (their mom) present?”
Another person wrote: “Pretty sad that the good kids are getting punished.. how about instead of a chaperone policy, they say that they have the right to remove anybody from their property that is being disruptive..”
One person defended the chain’s decision, writing: “Nobody there makes enough to constantly remove disruptive teenagers who lack accountability and fear of consequence.”
In a written statement, a Chick-fil-A said: “Chick-fil-A restaurants are locally owned and operated. This restaurant has set a policy specific to its location, which mirrors that of the shopping center the restaurant is located in.”
Instances of businesses banning minors without chaperones are becoming increasingly common.
The Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, California, the sixth-largest mall in the U.S., has a policy requiring shoppers under 18 to be with a parent or adult on Fridays and Saturdays after 3 p.m. Similarly, The Mall in Columbia, Maryland, requires those 17 and under to be accompanied at all times by a parent or supervising adult aged 21 or older after 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].
