A vegan restaurant has been closed after its owners claimed they had received death threats for banning children under the age of five from entering.
Taina and Gary Bartlett opened Plantastic Indy in February but sparked a vicious backlash after their edict on Saturday.
They complained that too many customers were changing their babies’ diapers on tables or breastfeeding at the small, 10-table Indianapolis eatery.
“Gary and I have put our savings, our health insurance, our own health and our dreams on hold to accomplish a mission bigger than us. Fight climate change through food,” Tania wrote in a post on their social media pages.
A vegan restaurant has been closed after its owners claimed they had received death threats for banning children under the age of five from entering. Taina and Gary Bartlett opened Plantastic Indy in February but sparked a vicious backlash after their edict on Saturday
The response from parents, and many others outraged on their behalf, to the child ban and reference to breastfeeding was swift and brutal
‘By the grace of God we have this first and last brick and mortar on the Avenue, a super elegant, clean and neat place to ensure that everyone who decides to come feels welcome in our inviting place.
‘But unfortunately we can no longer welcome toddlers, newborns and anyone under the age of five in order to maintain our sanitary standards.’
‘I know a lot of mothers will be angry. Don’t be angry with us, only with those who came and put dirty diapers on the table and exposed their breasts in public to feed the child.
“That’s not the Plantastic Indy experience we want for the rest of our customers.”
The response from parents, and many others outraged on their behalf, to the child ban and reference to breastfeeding was swift and brutal.
They banned children under the age of five, complaining that too many customers were changing their babies’ diapers on tables or breastfeeding in the small, 10-table eatery.
Tania deleted the post and posted a video explaining herself and hitting back at her critics, insisting she was not against breastfeeding.
Her video was combative from the start, telling people who complained to “learn to read, most of you can’t read.”
Tania explained that her accent was from the Dominican Republic and hoped that there would be no racism in the comments “because everything is now about illegal racism.”
‘I’m not against breastfeeding, for God’s sake. What I’m against is dirt. “I want to eat at a place or establishment that is clean,” she said.
‘Since when is it okay to put shit on the table? Because that’s what a diaper is: it’s poop.
“We are vegan, and the only milk a human should consume as a baby is their mother’s milk. What we are against are unsanitary conditions.’
But her video only sparked more outrage with hundreds of angry comments on both Facebook and Instagram.
Some comments told her she should “go back to where she came from,” despite her hope that critics would keep racism out.
Taina has lived legally in the US for years with her husband, who is originally from Montreal.
The couple were engineers in the US until they quit their jobs to open Plantastic.
The restaurant has not opened since, and calls to the phone number indicate it is only open for backdoor takeout
Tania said the comments and messages she received included death threats, so they closed the restaurant on Sunday.
‘We opened Plantastic Indy out of love and dedication. But it seems that the power of hate is stronger than the power of love,” she wrote on the pages of the cafe.
The restaurant has not opened since and calls to the phone number indicate it is only open for backdoor takeout.
“A vegan spot that opposes a baby’s only natural and ethical food source is wild. The disconnect is astonishing,” read one comment.
Another wrote, “If you don’t like kids or want them in your restaurant, be up front. Don’t give out BS or beat around the bush. But for the love of the universe, do NOT make breastfeeding seem unsanitary or shameful.”
A third added: ‘You specifically said you didn’t want a mother to nurse with her breast visible. Now you’re lying and gaslighting.”
‘We opened Plantastic Indy out of love and dedication. But it seems that the power of hate is stronger than the power of love,” she wrote on the pages of the cafe
Many commentators argued that it is illegal to prohibit mothers from breastfeeding in a restaurant.
“The irony of trying to expose illegal racism while trying to illegally block breastfeeding,” one person wrote in response to Tania’s video.
Although Indiana law states that a woman has the right to breastfeed wherever she may be, the restaurant did not violate that law because it was within its rights to prohibit children.
Businesses can refuse service to anyone they want as long as it is not discriminatory, and many businesses have minimum age limits even if they do not sell alcohol.
Other locals said Plantastic’s owners had a history of erratic behavior, including arbitrary last-minute closures.
‘I worked there for two weeks and hated it. I literally walked out halfway through the service because I couldn’t handle the owners c**p anymore,” one person wrote.
The restaurant’s social media pages include dozens of messages informing customers that it would be closed the next day.