When an Indiana couple decided to open a vegan restaurant in Indianapolis, they had big dreams for their small space. Taina and Gary Bartlett opened Plantastic Indy just a few months ago and seemed to have a good business going. But, it apparently wasn't exactly what they'd dreamed of.
According to a since-deleted social media post, Plantastic Indy wanted dining at its restaurant to be an enjoyable experience for all customers, and in order to make that happen, they decided kids younger than 5 and breastfeeding moms are no longer welcome.
The fallout over the post was swift, and as the restaurant's new policy began to circulate across social media, so did the hate for Plantastic Indy and the owners. They have since decided to move their restaurant to a carry-out-only model as they reassess their future.
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Plantastic Indy made a bold statement.
The restaurant posted its new policy on social media on June 9. It didn't take long, however, for the message to rub people the wrong way, and the Bartletts ended up taking it down.
Fellow Indy vegan Heather Dame, who owns Lucky Lemon Bakery, captured screenshots and shared them on her social media accounts.
"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," a post reads.
"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," the post continues.
"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."
The message continues, "I know many moms will get upset. Do not get upset at us, just at the ones that have come and le[f]t dirty diapers on the table and put their breast out in public uncover to feed the child. That's no[t] the Plantastic Indy experience we want for the rest of our customers."
Not surprisingly, the message upset a lot of people.
Dame took to her TikTok, @vegan_hoosier, to share her frustration with the restaurant.
"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?" she wrote.
People were outraged.
"Wait my jaw is on the floor….. sounds like an upkeep problem in their end rather than a child problem. This is sickening ," one person commented.
"RIP Plantastic Indy," another person wrote.
Someone asked, "Isn't this a HUGE lawsuit for discrimination??"
Dame thinks so and responded, "Absolutely! This is not going to turn out well for them at all!"
The Bartletts claim customers were the problem.
Taina Bartlett told WISH that Plantastic Indy wasn't a place for kids.
"This is not Chuck E. Cheese. This was not made for babies. That's the sad truth," she said.
Her husband added that he'd never seen a woman breastfeed at a restaurant.
"Neither of us have ever eaten at a restaurant where someone would openly expose a breast in public to feed. Only when in our own restaurant has this happened. One would think and expect common decency and respect for others would be the norm," Gary Bartlett said, according to WISH.
Taina Bartlett said breastfeeding was affecting business. "Our male customers, they have not come back after they have seen that a couple of times," she claimed.
Things reportedly got ugly for the couple.
The couple told WISH they'd received death threats following the social media post and that they were forced to close the restaurant's doors to dine-in customers for the time being.
The Bartletts claim their message was simply misinterpreted and said they have no fears moving forward and running their business as they please.
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Some have questioned whether Plantastic Indy is breaking the law.
Jody Madeira, a professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, told WISH that it isn't against the law for the Bartletts to close their business to people of a certain age, but they are toeing the line by not allowing women to breastfeed as that is a "commercial ban."
According to Indiana law, a mother can breastfeed her baby at any time and anywhere she wants.
