Harriet Bailey has hit out at Frankie and Benny’s after claiming they were denied a table
A mother has complained to Frankie and Benny’s after claiming she was denied a table at one of the chain’s restaurants when she asked for somewhere to breastfeed.
Harriet Bailey was out with her husband Paul Hayes-Jones and their seven-week-old baby Joshua when they asked if there was space at Frankie and Benny’s in Southampton.
She says the restaurant seemed happy to find them somewhere to sit, until Mr Hayes-Jones, a soldier in the Royal logistics Corp, mentioned his wife would be breastfeeding.
Mother-of-two Ms Bailey, 27, said: ‘There were only about five tables being used. The member of staff asked if we had booked a table and we said “no”.
‘He said it wasn’t a problem, but when my husband asked if we could have a corner table so I could breastfeed the baby his attitude completely changed.
‘The man there said they were fully booked, and lead us to a seat at the bar. There was no way we were going to sit there, so my husband and I left.’
She says she was forced to breastfeed in her car, with a muslin cloth over her baby’s head.
Ms Bailey says she was forced to breastfeed in the car outside the restaurant after the snub
The couple insist the restaurant was half-empty and other people coming in without bookings were being seated at tables.
Ms Bailey said: ‘Unless they were expecting about 150 people by 5.30pm, I don’t think they were fully booked. I can’t see any other plausible explanation for why we couldn’t have a table.
‘It wasn’t as if they were busy, we didn’t look scruffy – there were no other reasons we could have been turned away.’
She added: ‘It’s illegal to ban breastfeeding, it’s the same as saying you can’t come in if you’re in a wheelchair.
‘It makes you feel isolated – in the first couple of months after having a baby you feel really vulnerable.’
A spokesman for Frankie and Benny’s said: ‘We strive to offer customers a fun, family-friendly experience, and a welcoming environment for any mums wishing to breastfeed at our restaurants. We are investigating the situation that took place.’
The restaurant reportedly said there was only room at the bar. Bosses are investigating