By Eatocracy Editors
Don’t mess with a military mom. A Lake Stevens, Washington, cafe owner learned that lesson the hard way this week after posting a photograph of the aftermath of some children’s visit to the Rainy Days Caffé. According to CNN affiliate KOMO, Rainy MacDuff asked two military wives and their children to leave her restaurant when one of the children had a screaming fit, then photographed the scone crumbs the group had left under a table.
Rainy MacDuff’s Facebook post captioned, “I’d like to take this time to thank our customers with small children who don’t make messes,” was intended to draw sympathy to to restaurant staff forced to clean up after their young patrons. Instead, it backfired, going viral and eliciting comments threatening boycotts of the business and bodily harm to MacDuff after one of the mothers, Kellea Poore, shared the post with friends and called for an apology.
Those on the milder, but still dissenting side chimed in, saying in Facebook comments:
“Basically,it sounds like you are a snob towards your customers and discriminate against children.”
“You made a big mistake making fun of a customers kids in public. They should sue you!”
“You’re lucky I don’t live in Washington or I’d dedicate my entire week to make sure you lose as much money as possible for being a disgusting human being. Don’t run a business if you can’t take what comes along with it. I hope you don’t have children. I hope your BS closes your doors.”
But MacDuff, a military wife, herself, found plenty of sympathy from restaurant patrons across the country, who agreed that the mothers should have kept their kids’ detritus and decibels in check — or at least left a hefty tip.
Commenters on the cafe’s Facebook page said:
“Too many times my wife and I have tried to go out and have a nice meal or coffee only to be ruined by loud misbehaved children. So, we agree with you and look forward to visiting your caffe many times in the future.”
“If she is a military wife, she is not setting a good example as a military dependent and I’m sure the base commander is not going to see it from her POV either. It’s the plain and simple TRUTH that was posted complete with a photo and sarcastic wit.”
“Good for you for calling out that messy family! Parents need to know that it’s not all right for their children to make messes and not pick up after them. If we had done that as children, our parents would have us on our hands and knees picking up to teach us a lesson, and then they’d never take us out again.”
MacDuff apologized for the post writing, “It was not right to do that and I am deeply sorry for any embarrassment it might have caused anyone.” She also sweetened the deal by offering to donate the price of a scone for every comment she received within a particular hour, and has raised $220 for a back-to-school fund for the Lake Stevens Family Center. She also noted that the moms in question were welcome back — but only if leave their kids at home.
