We’ve all had to dine next to a rowdy crowd in a restaurant at one time or another, but at one establishment, the problem seems to have gone to a whole other level.
At least that’s what the owners of a DC restaurant say, who have taken drastic measures to address the problem that many think might be illegal.
DC restaurant Café 8 has banned customers under 30 after 8:30 p.m.
Café 8 is a Mediterranean restaurant and hookah bar in Washington DC’s Capitol Hill area, in a neighborhood known as Barracks Row along 8th Street in the city.
It shares the area with many residents, and the owners have reportedly wondered for years how they could better contain the noise from its restaurant so it doesn’t disturb the neighbors.
Elif Sam, who manages the spot along with her family, told The Washington Post that its clientele often takes the party vibe out front to where their cars are parked, making even more noise. So, in November, she and her family decided to make a big change to attract an older, more relaxed crowd.
The restaurant wants an older crowd that will bring less ‘trouble,’ and even many younger patrons approve of it.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Café 8 announced it was banning customers under 30 after 8:30 at night “due to recent unforeseen incidents,” going on to say that the decision was made “to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment” and “to prioritize the comfort and well-being of our guests.”
Sam says crime in the neighborhood is part of what prompted the decision, including incidents in which her father was beaten up on the street and another in which a group of armed young men attempted to enter the restaurant.
She told the Post that she hopes an older crowd at Café 8 will bring less drama to the restaurant because “it’s easier to communicate with them. They understand, and they are not looking to have trouble. They’re not looking to fight, you know?”
You might assume that Sam and her family received tons of blowback from the change — after all, this is in line with what many Gen Z’ers have come to say is outright age discrimination that they regularly face.
But the response seems to have been the opposite, even among younger patrons, whom, Sam says, have been understanding. According to the Post, Café 8’s Instagram post about the rule also received mostly approving comments before it was deleted.
Some feel rules like this are discriminatory and might be illegal under DC law.
Age discrimination is, of course, illegal on a federal level, but those laws mainly only apply to people over 40, not younger people being targeted for their youth.
However, many state and local laws apply age discrimination rules to anyone over 18. DC is among them, and experts say this may pose a problem for Café 8.
A spokesman at DC’s Office of Human Rights told the Post that the city’s law “generally prohibits businesses that serve the public from refusing to provide goods and services based on a person’s age,” but that it carries an exception for cases where an age-based rule is made out of “business necessity.”
Local attorney Andrew Kline told the Post he doubts Café 8’s move would rise to that standard, and he generally advises his clients against rules like this because they “unnecessarily expose (business owners) to liability.”
Whatever the case, Café 8 is far from the first restaurant to make this kind of change. Another restaurant, Bliss in Saint Louis, Missouri, went viral over the summer for taking a similar policy even further by having different standards for men and women, banning women under 30 and men under 35 in order to keep its clientele “grown and sexy.” That move proved controversial — but, similar to Café 8’s, it was definitely not without its supporters.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
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