Adventures with Beer and a Baby, a Restaurant Fail

Labor Day was a wonderful long weekend for our little family. We had visitors and as tradition, we searched the city for a local eatery to provide everyone with a delicious and unique eating experience.  After some discussion, we excitedly ventured out to a new bar/restaurant called HopCat. This Michigan-based eatery boasts 130 beers on tap with a constantly changing beer menu. While this is a bar, their website states that anyone under the age of 21 is permitted to enter with a parent only before 9:00 p.m. As a side note, my husband and I recently discovered the above is permitted due to a metal railing around "the bar area" similar to those found in amusement park lines.

The food was yummy and I was told the beverages were enjoyable. I abstained, but they do provide three free samples. If you are not sure and your server does not offer, be sure to ask. The meal was a little less enjoyable when it became time for the necessary pre-meal diaper change. With no changing table in the restroom, we were fortunate enough to be seated at a table much like a picnic table, providing a surface larger than a traditional kitchen chair to change a baby. It is never my preference to change a baby IN a restaurant where people consume food, but this one gave us no choice, except to venture to the front of the restaurant and change a baby on a bench in the entryway. It was busy, said bench was far away with narrow passageways and was likely to be occupied by hungry guests waiting for a seat themselves. With the potential of having a squirmy baby, I wanted my husband to help hold her in place, so I started the deed where we sat. With no details required, this was one of those instances where running water would be required.

The sink was a trough that had three faucets, which to the best of my knowledge is the sink pictured here. The type of sink, the faucets and the shower head like base made it easy to stick a soiled baby bottom under running water.

"I am so sorry and I know this is not very sanitary, but does anyone have any objection if I rinse my baby off in the sink?" The three ladies did not object and inquired where the changing table was. After a very brief conversation and at least one parent advising a school-aged girl to wait for one of the other faucets to become available, I swept E's bottom under the faucet and was incredibly thankful for such an understanding crowd. I wondered if my husband, or any man, needed to change a diaper if he would be afforded the same kindness. I will also add that E does not like having her diaper changed and this experience often yields a 90% chance of E using her entire lung capacity to show her dislike of the process. With bright eyes and no screams or tears (thank the heavens), I was faced with yet another issue. The two trash cans were labeled for paper towel disposal only since all of the towels were placed into compost. This was another great restroom conversation involving all of the women in the immediate area.

We spoke with our server and asked to speak with a manager. We wanted to be sure we were consulting the highest tiered employee who may likely have the power to be able to change this situation. Unfortunately, HopCat is part of a chain with locations in a few different states. He agreed that there needed to be changing tables and it is not a question of cost, but that permission would be required by the owners to install one. We also voiced our concern about having no where to dispose of a dirty diaper. I could tell he was distressed by the situation and he stated this was not the first time he had heard this. He told us he would pass the complaint to the owners in his notes and encouraged us to contact the top most tier of the company, which we plan on doing in hopes that a change can be made.  Who knew a simple piece of plastic attached to a wall would make an eating experience more enjoyable?