A Vegan Restaurant Bans Public Breastfeeding & Kids Under 5 — And Moms Have Thoughts

An Indianapolis vegan restaurant has come under some fire from local parents after releasing a controversial statement on social media. Plantastic Indy wrote to their followers that, effective immediately, children under 5 and breastfeeding parents would be banned from their establishment to keep up with “sanitary standards.”

In the now-deleted post, the statement read: “Dear Loyal customer, Gary and I have invested our life savings, [careers], own health, and dreams on hold to accomplish a mission bigger than us. Fight climate change through food.”

“By the grace of God, we have this first and last brick and mortar at the Avenue, super elegant, clean, and neat place to make sure everyone that decides to come feels welcome in our inviting place.”

“But sadly, we can no longer welcome toddlers, newborns, or anyone under 5 years old, will be allowed in order to keep up and maintain our sanitary standards.”

They continued, “I know many moms will get upset. Do not get upset at us, just at the ones that have come and let dirty diapers on the table and put their breast out in public uncover to feed the child. That's no the Plantastic Indy experience we want for the rest of our customers.”

The post was dated June 9th, 2024.

After local moms got wind of the new rules, they posted their opinions on social media, with one mom and fellow vegan restaurant owner criticizing Plantastic Indy’s new policies.

“Plantastic Indy just made a huge mistake,” TikTok user Heather Dame said in her now-viral video.

“I woke up this morning to this Instagram post saying that they are now going to be banning anyone under the age of five to be able to maintain their sanitary purposes. And they will no longer allow for mothers to breastfeed in public in their restaurant. Excuse me, you're gonna break the law?”

Indiana Code § 16-35-6 allows a woman to breastfeed her child anywhere she has a right to be. Indiana is a breastfeeding-friendly state.

She goes on to say that her vegan food business began because of lactation cookies and how common it actually is to have vegan moms who are breastfeeding due to their child’s dietary needs.

“I was meeting up other moms in parking lots, giving them bags of lactation cookies and taking cash. I was a weird little cookie dealer around town,” she joked.

“The breastfeeding community is what built my business. Do you know how many breastfeeding moms come up to my booth and they're like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can't have dairy or egg or I can't soy because of my little one is breastfeeding.’ And I'm like, ‘Hey, I got you covered.’”

“I am not against breastfeeding at all. And I will never tell a mother she needs to cover up. I will never say that she can't bring her child into my restaurant,” she continued.

After the video went viral, several parents commented on the video, sharing their disgust with the restaurant’s new rigid rules.

“Wait my jaw is on the floor….. sounds like an upkeep problem in their end rather than a child problem. This is sickening😳,” one user wrote.

Another wrote, “This is 2024 get your tits out ladies. I hate BF stigma.”

Others supported Plantastic Indy’s stance, writing, “I’d love to eat there NOW — more child-free spaces please! lil germ buckets.”

“good we need more children free area,” another said.

Plantastic Indy responded to the backlash with the owner making a response video about their new rules, doubling down on their decision to help with “sanitary standards.”

“I am not against breastfeeding for God's sake,” she says in the video. “What I'm against? Dirtiness. I want to eat in a place, in an establishment, that's clean, that maintains sanitary standards. Since when it's okay to put a poo on a table? Cause that's what a diaper is — it's poo.”

“So, for most of you that have never been here, I will show you,” she says before panning her smaller-sized restaurant. “This is all we got — 10 tables. And they're next to each other, and most of the time, the few of you that have come here, see me with a hairnet. Why? Cause I go in and out of the kitchen, most of the time I'm cooking, I'm cleaning, doing whatever it takes. So again, we are not against breastfeeding for God's sake!”

“We're vegan, and that's the only milk a human should consume while you're a baby, the milk of your mother ... so, we are not against breastfeeding, hopefully that you hear and understand.”

“All you have to do is kindly ask customers who change their children’s diapers to please do so in the bathroom. Assuming you have a changing table in there. If you don’t, then that’s on you. Do better,” one user wrote on the restaurant’s Instagram post.

“You were not acting in love so you’re getting back what you put out there. How DARE you ban breastfeeding moms,” another said.

Others supported the owner’s doubling down and commented, “I support you 100%. Unsanitary behaviour has no place in a restaurant where food is served and consumed. I only wish more establishments would follow suit and do what you've done 👌🏼”

“As a fellow business owner, this is NOT it. The diapers I understand, the rest? Oi,” another stated.

Okay, so they’re not against breastfeeding, but they don’t want to see it or have anyone do it in their restaurant because it makes other people feel uncomfy?

They also don’t want people changing dirty diapers on their tables which is valid! That’s gross.

However, if you’re not going to offer a changing table in the bathroom or a nursing room for parents, what do you expect to happen at your restaurant? People have kids! People need to to eat!

Plus, she might have a legal issue on her hands due to the small fact that she’s breaking discrimination laws by banning nurising parents from her restaurant.