San Francisco

San Francisco Fishermen's Grotto Confused With No Noisy Kids Policy

A San Francisco restaurant is facing a barrage of angry calls and emails from kid-loving customers who seem to have confused it with a Monterey restaurant with a similar name that's in the middle of a current controversy for its ban on noisy children.

The owners of San Francisco's No. 9 Fishermen's Grotto said they are in no way affiliated with Monterey's Old Fisherman's Grotto, which made headlines this week for its years-old policy of forbidding crying or noisy children from its dining hall. The restaurant hung a new sign out last week reminding customers that the restaurant doesn't provide booster seats or allow strollers.

Kids have been welcome to the family restaurant since 1935, said Anthony Geraldi, a partner in the San Francisco restaurant and great-grandson of the restaurant's founder, Mike Geraldi. His restaurant boasts a kids menu to prove it.



The Old Fisherman's Grotto in Monterey does not explicitly ban children altogether, but is certainly not welcoming to young people. The restaurant hung a new sign out last week reminding customers that the restaurant doesn't provide booster seats or allow strollers. Children are also not allowed into the dining room.

While many voiced their disapproval with this seemingly ageist policy, many others chimed in to support owner Chris Shake's decision to crack down on kids.

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