Readers have been debating whether it was right for a café to refuse a five-year-old access to a toilet.
A mum said she visited Blossom Café in Wythenshawe as a 'treat' for her and her daughter on Saturday but, not long after arriving, her child needed the loo. After asking a member of staff if there was a toilet they could use, they were told ‘no’.
Posting on social media, the mum said the café had a staff toilet, but no facilities for customers. She wrote: "We sat down to look at the menu! My daughter who is 5 said mummy I need a wee??? I asked the lady can she use the toilet to be told NO??
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“She even went into the back to ask the manager! Still No!!! She’s 5!!!!!! So obviously we left! Absolutely shocking!!! You should be ashamed of yourself!!!!"
The café owner said there were a number of safety concerns around letting customers use their staff facilities, but said they would be ‘looking into' whether they should be providing a customer toilet.
The café only opened three weeks ago and sells everything from breakfasts and salads, to waffles, milkshakes and ice cream sundaes. Owner Imran Alli said the response to the new business has overall been positive, but this incident has been 'very disheartening'.
He said the toilet they do have is in a tight space, close to the kitchen and he can't take the risk of allowing customers into that area. "If something happened in the back next to the kitchen, say if she slipped on something, my insurance would be void," he said.
"It's not safe for anybody to go in the back except for staff. You can't fit two people in there and we couldn't take the risk of letting a five-year-old go on her own."
Imran, who has leased the building for 15 years and used to run it as a post office before moving it into a nearby convenience store, said he has children himself and understands the problems parents can face.
"My children are 16 and 13 now but whenever we used to go out, to The Trafford Centre for example, we'd make sure they were prepared before they went out. This child needed the toilet as soon as she arrived.
"I'm not ruthless and saying a child can't go to the toilet for no reason, but the safety aspect comes first. There is shelving and other stuff there, things that could be hazardous."
What readers have said
Reacting to the story, some M.E.N readers, posting on our Facebook page, described the café owners as ‘job’s worth's’ but others said it was ‘entitlement’ from the mother to expect to use the venue’s staff toilet.
Joanie Wiedenhof said: “That is awful, it's only a child. Jobs worth”.
David Hall wrote: “If they are seated and serving liquids, obvious they should provide a loo. Also, anyone with kids will understand they need the toilet.”
Liane Brady commented: “How ridiculous to say a five year old should prepare themselves before they go out! Their bladders are tiny. They need a lot more wees than adults and can’t hold as much so need to go more often. I don’t think anywhere selling food were you can eat in should be allowed to open without toilet and washing facilities.”
Louisa Shaw said: “Shocking, I have even been allowed to take my daughter for a wee when she was 4 to the staff toilet in a local sainsburys. Surely somewhere that serves food and drink should have an accessible toilet. How ridiculous no one knows when your little one will need to go!”
Kat Car added: “So people are out and about, touching god knows what?! Think I’ll go for a sandwich/cake and a cuppa……… yet there is no where to wash their hands. Wow how quickly we’ve forgotten how viruses spread! Then no toilet facilities! Definitely a no go for me! Should not be open if it cannot provide basic facilities in this day and age!”
Tracy Holland said: "It got nothing to do with using the staff loo and insurance it’s about a eat in café need to provide public toilets. And somewhere to wash hands."
What do you think? Have your say in our comments below.
Lesley Poppy posted: "All cafes should have toilets and shouldn’t have refused the little one or anyone else with health problems where they need to go unexpectedly.
Lisa Gunn wrote: “Staff areas aren't safe for customers. There are shelves etc to negotiate. Plus staff usually keep their personal belongings there. The council have said the law is a grey area so at the moment he's within the law.
“Poor man could lose his business for safeguard the child from going into an area that wasn't safe for her to go in especially unaccompanied and the owner said the staff loo area is too tight for 2 people.”
Nicole Jones posted: “Public cannot use staff toilets, it's in the same place where we keep our personal belongings and excess stock. If there was to be an accident or something was stolen, then you have no leg to stand on. And it is the manager/owner that will be in trouble. Most of these comments will come from people who have never worked in the food industry and haven't got a clue about regulations.”
Melina Strauss commented: “Seriously, the entitlement. ‘I didn't get my way, so this café [should] be boycotted and everyone there should lose their jobs!'”
Lindsey Atkinson added: “I understand it’s a 5 year old child needing the toilet but what would the headlines be if they had agreed and there was an accident? The owner has made his point about insurance. If it was me in that situation I would have nipped to the pub across the road to use their facilities then gone back to our treat. Such a shame a new business is getting a hard time over this.”
Do you think customers should be offered the use of staff toilets if necessary? Have you ever been caught out like this and refused access to loos? Do you agree with the business owner's stance? Let us know your views in the comments.
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