L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Despite Promotion, Kids Charged Full Price If Too Tall. A restaurant on Long Island is under fire for its billing policy. The size of your dinner check … is based on your size.

And as CBS 2 HD found out, the policy is proving to a big deal for some customers.

If your child is taller than a certain height, you will have to pay the adult price.

Nikki Kaplan is 11 years old, but apparently her age doesn't matter at this buffet.

"She was two inches over and they said she would be charged a full-price adult meal, and I thought that was ridiculous because she's 11 years old," mother Amy Kaplan said.

"We walked out. I wasn't going to pay that."

The child pays half price policy at Sushi Park in Commack only applies to kids between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 feet tall.

When told by CBS 2 HD that Nikki Kaplan was only a child and that the family thought the policy was discriminatory, one of the Sushi Park employees tried to give some insight into the restaurant's thinking.

"Actually, you know, we're not concentrating only on the age, how old are they. Are they 8-year or 10-year, 11 or 17," the employee said.

Amy Kaplan was not buying that rationale.

"They can't charge more based on weight, or based on sexual orientation or on the color of your skin," Amy Kaplan said. "Why should they charge her more because she's tall and has tall genes in the family?"

Nikki Kaplan's father, Howard, by the way, is 6-foot-4.

While Nikki may be tall for her age, her mother says she eats like a bird and to pay $24.99 instead of half is wrong.

"I'd probably eat some rice and some rolls and some soup. That's it," Nikki Kaplan said.

Currently, the law does not prohibit restaurants from charging by height. The Kaplan family has contacted their representatives to change that.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

A restaurant can charge based on whatever it wants, your height, eye color, hair color, etc, as long as it's not based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

And this would be what's wrong with society today. You don't get what you want, make a big stink and scream to the press.

Don't children's menus at restaurants usually state 10 and under?

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Ugh...I hate people. These tall folks are giving us other tall folks a bad name.

if you don't want to pay the $25 plate fee...then go somewhere that charges you for what you order!!!!!

What a bunch of whiners.

I feel bad for the kid though. I wonder if she wants to be a part of all of this or actually gives a crap. How embarrassing.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Newsday Article

wait, I just realized our first discussion was from a Newsday article.

so the family contacted Newsday and CBS?? good to see they don't have more pressing issues in their lives

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

as a tall kid, I have to say, this policy stinks. As a kid, I only wanted hamburgers, pasta and other "kid" dishes. I liked the smaller portions on the kids menu, and they usually came with desert. Yummy! (ahhh.. I so remember that Happy Ending sundae at Friendlys).

But NO ONE believed I was younger. I was 5'8 since I was 13, so you can imagine how tall I was at 10 or 11. Eventually of course they let it go and I could order of the kids menu. But it used to really upset me if I couldn't. Hey, I was a kid. I didn't have bigger things to worry about.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

What if it was an adult under 4'5", would they pay the full price or the half price?

I don't eat very much either, I could probably be full on a kids portion, but I don't complain about it.
If thats how the restaurant wants to decide, then thats their perrogative.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

I remember growing up ground round had nites where you paid what you weighed or paid the amount of your height and obviously people took the kids their bc it was cheap. Instead of doing "kids eat free" it would be like 52 cents , 70 cents etc...
Children Height discrimination...I love it!

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Posted by Chatham-Chick

Ugh...I hate people. These tall folks are giving us other tall folks a bad name.

if you don't want to pay the $25 plate fee...then go somewhere that charges you for what you order!!!!!

What a bunch of whiners.

I feel bad for the kid though. I wonder if she wants to be a part of all of this or actually gives a crap. How embarrassing.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

I did one of these as I read this article over the weekend.

What a shame they dont have anything more important to complain about.

They'll probably get nowhere with this. My only question is if her daugher eats like a bird and doesnt eat sushi, then why the heL L did she take her to a sushi place!!!!!!!!

I really, really HATE stories like this. It annoys the s$it outta me!!

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Posted by tray831


I did one of these as I read this article over the weekend.

What a shame they dont have anything more important to complain about.

They'll probably get nowhere with this. My only question is if her daugher eats like a bird and doesnt eat sushi, then why the heL L did she take her to a sushi place!!!!!!!!

I really, really HATE stories like this. It annoys the s$it outta me!!

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

The kid doesn't eat that type of food anyway! Get a life mom!

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

My husband happens to take my girls there for lunch all the time. As he says, he's way to old to ever eat at Friendly's again He plays a little game with the owners about paying for my youngest. Apparently, if you are below a certain height you do not pay. He swears that the measuring stick in the front of the restaurant is different then the back. So every time, he walks her to the back and shows the owner the difference in height. So funny because he winds up tipping what he would have spent on her lunch anyway. He just can't stand the owner. So, I wonder if this poor girl was measured in the back or the front of the restaurant ??

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

Message edited 11/16/2011 7:38:21 PM.

Re: L.I. Restaurant's Height Policy Angers Patrons

This si the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. I can understand complaining and trying to prove that she's young, but if they won't comply, choose another restaraunt, don't make a federal case out of it