A Foster City restaurateur is sparking debate after a viral social media post revealed the business’s strict dining policy that fines parents if their children damage restaurant property.
Late last month, a user on X shared a screenshot of the policy at Chinese restaurant Chez Xue, which urges parents to keep their children seated while reminding them that the restaurant is “not a playground.” The memo also included specific dates when parents of unruly children were fined, including one fee of $327.03 after a child dropped and damaged a credit card reader last April. The post has since been viewed more than 1 million times and garnered hundreds of comments, mostly in favor of the policy.
“Running around, shouting, making noise with utensils, etc. will not be tolerated,” the policy listed on the menu reads, in part. “We will hold parents financially liable for all damages caused by their children to restaurant property.”
Owner You You Xue told SFGATE that he was surprised when he saw the viral post and added that he was pleased when he read many comments supporting his view. The policy, which was implemented on the menu at the start of the year, was never an “anti-children campaign,” Xue said, but one he felt it necessary to add in writing after years of observing poor behavior from both parents and children. Xue said he’s seen everything from children running around the dining room to parents changing diapers at dining booth seats at his restaurant, which is on Metro Center Boulevard across from a Costco. The credit card reader incident last April was the last straw.
“Dining out is expensive these days, so I know that the last thing people want is to spend money going out, then having that moment ruined by a loud child at the other table, who can’t be controlled by their own parents,” Xue said.
According to Xue, parents aren’t charged if a child breaks something by accident, but they would pay a fee if an item broke due to a child playing around or acting recklessly, he stressed. For his part, charging a fee is more about the principle of respect than the monetary value.
“In my opinion, the message is not controversial,” Xue said. “I think some other restaurants would find this message to be too direct or unpolished … but at the end of the day, I would be saying this message one way or another to my customers, either verbally or in writing.”
It’s not the first time Xue has had an outspoken view on controversial topics. The restaurateur, who also owns the Michelin-recognized restaurant wonderful in Millbrae, made headlines in 2024 after he filed 33 lawsuits in San Francisco Superior Court against Bay Area restaurants he alleged charged him undisclosed fees that were not clearly displayed on menus.
Since adding the policy earlier this year at his Foster City restaurant, Xue said incidents of bad behavior have gone down precipitously. When asked if he plans to ever remove the strict policy, Xue said he will keep it for the foreseeable future — and also plans to implement the same rule at a forthcoming restaurant he expects to open in Mountain View this summer. Xue added that he hopes other Bay Area restaurants adopt similar policies.
“We’re happy to start and maybe continue an existing conversation,” Xue said. “If we inadvertently speak on behalf of other restaurants who are feeling the same way, then I’m happy about that.”
