my wife and i have heard mixed messages about brining kids into bars in the neighborhood. most dont seem to mind, but on occassion (and only at some establishments) when i've tried to belly up to the bar itself with the tyke, ive been told that kids are not allowed. is this a legal issue and if so can someone point me towards the city statute that lays this out? or is this just the preference of the establishment owner?

It's a state issue. Can't cite the law per se. If a place lets a tyke belly up, I'd question what else the place allows.

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lee

For me personally, I like to think of the bar as place for adults. I don't like it when I have to worry about what I am saying as there might be kids around.

It seems like 2 issues- sitting at the bar which seems to be illegal(also fall factor issue) and being in a bar.
It seems sort of personal- I am selective about where I will bring my children. For example I love Graces but would not bring my kids in there. I would definitely eat outside in Sidecar with said children and depending on crowd would eat inside. We have doen lunch in ten Stone but I would never go there too late because of crowding issues. I do brunch with children at Standard Tap,SPTR, Royal tavern, north 3rd, Bishop collar etc etc. (clearly brunch is all we do.....)However it is brunch not 8/9 at night. My kids are sleeping at that time. I really try to mindful of adult time versus child time and those around me who may not want my little ones in their space. HOwever I think daytime in certain places is certainly acceptable.

since i am having such a productive day at work, i dug in and found the state statute (http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/040/chapter5/sub chapJtoc.html):

5.121. Service in establishments primarily serving food.

(a) Section 493(14) of the Liquor Code (47 P. S. § 4-493(14)) creates several exceptions to the general prohibition of minors being present in licensed premises. One of these exceptions, known as the ‘‘Pizza Hut’’ exception, permits a minor to be present in a restaurant, hotel or retail dispenser (but not a club) licensed premises that has gross sales of food and nonalcoholic beverages equal to at least 50% of its combined gross sales of both food and alcoholic beverages.
(b) Licensees qualifying for this exception will not be cited for unlawfully allowing minors to frequent the licensed premises.
(c) To qualify for this exception, a licensee will assure that:
(1) Minors are not permitted to sit at the bar counter of the premises.
(2) Alcoholic beverages are not served to any adult at the table or booth where the minor is seated, unless the minor is also there with a parent, legal guardian or proper supervisor.
(3) Sales of food and nonalcoholic beverages at the licensed premises during the preceding 12-month licensing year are at least 50% of the combined gross sales of both food and alcoholic beverages.



so there we have it. i agree with banba - we try to keep adult time for adults and also guage the crowd in the bar before we go in. we usually sit at a table anyway. I was just curious about the legality issues.

man you are bored....

COSIGN

as a person with no children and no intent to have children, i say this as politely, nicely, sincerely, gingerly and suggestively as possible to all with children who are no doubt darling, cute, vital and invaluable -- they are beautiful -- i do not want to be in a bar around children. ever.

bars are for adults. sunday brunch in a bar? debatable. but a bar, any time after 4pm in a bar-tavern-pub-watering-hole-place-where-people-unwind-with-hard-alcohol ... that is not for kids.

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look up. phillyskyline.com.

Well especially with the smoking ban any place that serves good food you're likely to find children in it at 4:00 pm. I took my children to Yellobar after 4:00 and will probably do so in the future. Seems they encourage children there because they have a high chair. I also know what I'm getting into too otherwise I'd only go to places without bars. I think we can all get along during the dinner hours.

Dissent.

If the establishment is as much a restaurant as a bar, there's no reason that parents shouldn't be able to bring their well-behaved children with them. Nor that the other adults in the establishment shouldn't be able to behave at least as well as those children. (In my opinion, etc.)

That said, I do think that parents shouldn't have their children in these establishments after, say, 10:00 p.m. -- by which time most children ought to be in their beds, anyhow.

(EDIT: just to be clear, I'm not advocating that these children be seated on barstools at the bar -- I'm talking about being seated at tables in establishments that have bars.)

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I'm on the fence on this one. We have a one year old, he has been to brunch at Sidecar and Yello'bar. Lunch at Monks, and dinner at Sidecar and For Pete's Sake, but both times outside. I feel those were all appropriate, but I wouldn't take him inside any of those places after 4:00ish. I'd probably say that rule applies up to the point where he isn't likely to be annoying to other patrons, probably around 7-8.

Where I'm not clear is if it was 8-12 years old. I think dinner at any of those places should be fine, but I'm not sure. I think the gastro-pub thing makes it tough to evaluate, but...

I do remember one of the owners of Yello'bar saying that he wanted the place to have the feel of an Irish Pub in terms of being open all day for food and drinks, and being a community gathering place. I've never been to Ireland, but I know in other parts of Europe bringing a kid into a bar at midnight wouldn't get you any funny looks.

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