Note: we are republishing this story, which originally made the news in October 2015.
Katie Leach was having a meal at a restaurant with her family when she received a nasty note from diners who claimed her 10-month old-son “ruined” their dinner with his screaming.
Leach, a Nampa, Idaho, resident, stated that Drew’s “new thing” was yelling.
In a Facebook post, she wrote: “He will yell when I tell him no, when he’s super excited and happy or just for no reason at all. I’m doing my best to teach him indoor voice and to not yell back at me when telling him no etc. But he is only 10 (almost 11 months) and LEARNING.”
She stated that they were at Texas Roadhouse in Nampa when Drew began yelling on and off.
Photo Credit: USA Today
“He had been screaming off and on just with everybody as they were singing happy birthday. And when one of the waitresses would come up, he’d scream to tell them hi,” she said. “We all tried quieting him down which a majority of the time he did, but he also was so excited to be around all the commotion. He was not yelling to be mean or because he was mad, it was purely from excitement and being happy.”
She stated that about halfway through their meal, two diners in “their late 50’s or early 60’s,” slammed a note on the table between Leach and Drew. The women then walked back to their table, which was behind Leach’s.
Photo Credit: USA Today
The note read: “Thank you for ruining our dinner with your screaming kid. Sincerely, the table behind you.”
She approached the table and explained to the women that she was teaching her son how to behave at the table, and referenced the fact that he was young and still learning. However, the women told her that they had grandchildren, and that they never behaved like that. Leach stated that she could have understood their complaints if Drew was older and knew better.
She said: “He’s so young. He barely understands now. I mean he’s starting to learn that when we tell him no that means to tone it down, which he was doing.”
She said that she wished the women could have handled things differently.
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According to Leach, the manager of the restaurant apologized for the diners’ rudeness, and told the women that they could finish their dinner, but they had to leave quietly.
She stated that the manager comped their meal and told her that her family was welcome to the restaurant anytime.
Travis Doster, a spokesman for Texas Roadhouse, addressed the incident: “We’re in the hospitality business. We want all our guests to have a great experience. We were voted one of the loudest restaurants by Consumer Reports. We are proud to be loud. If you want to hear clinking wine glasses and clinking forks, then this probably isn’t the place for you.”
