Mom kicked out of restaurant for wearing ‘inappropriate’ top on hottest day of year

Emma Prince, 34, was visiting her local restaurant with her young daughter but was “barred” from entering by the manager because she was wearing a crop top

An angry mum was kicked out of a pizza restaurant because her crop top wasn’t “appropriate”.

Emma Prince, 34, visited her local restaurant in a crop top on the hottest evening of the year – but was “banned” from entering.

The mother, who was with her young daughter, claimed the restaurant’s manager confronted her and said she was not welcome inside because the white crop top she was wearing was a bra.

However, an irate Emma claimed the item of clothing was definitely a crop top, which she wanted to wear because she was cooking in the 30 degree heatwave last Friday night.

The mother was pushed back to her car and changed into a shirt, which she wore instead, and was allowed into the beer garden in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire.

She and two-year-old daughter Penelope ordered their food, but after waiting more than an hour, they stormed out because the food still hadn’t arrived.

Speaking at her home in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire today, Emma opened up about her upset at being publicly humiliated in front of other diners at the Stonehouse Pizza and Carvery for wearing what she felt was “quite appropriate” clothing and the she said she bought from ASOS.

She said: “The manager said I couldn’t come in because I’m only wearing a bra. I explained it was a crop top, no underwear, and it was 30 degrees outside.

“She told me ‘this is a restaurant and it’s our policy,’ so I asked to see the policy and the dress code, which says no crop tops.

“She didn’t show me anything, but she kept looking me up and down and said in a very condescending way, ‘That’s not a top.'”

Emma, ​​who owns beauty salon The Vanity House in Bletchley, had a friend with her who also wore a crop top.

She said: “The manager said that was fine because it had thick straps. Mine had thin straps.

“However, it was still a crop top bought in the clothing department rather than the lingerie department!”

Luckily, Emma had a shirt in her car and despite the heat, she had to put it on to walk through the restaurant to the back garden.

“The manager said loudly, ‘That’s not a top, that’s a bra, and everyone was staring at me. It was really embarrassing.”

Once in the garden, Emma was told to keep her shirt on. She ordered food for herself and daughter Penelope, who was hungry after being picked up from daycare.

“There were shirtless men in the garden. I couldn’t understand why I was being discriminated against for wearing a top that showed my stomach. It didn’t seem fair at all.

“People came up to me and showed sympathy and said how tough the manager had been.

“I was boiling hot in my shirt but scared if I took it off and sat in my top I would be kicked out – and I didn’t want the confrontation in front of my daughter.”

Emma and her friend ordered food including macaroni cheese for little Penelope who was hungry. She ordered at 6:20pm but at 7:30pm the food still wasn’t there.

“People around me got their food, but ours didn’t come.

“My friend had dinner brought to her and her son, but my daughter was becoming increasingly hungry and upset. In the end I gave up and had to take them to McDonald’s instead.”

Afterwards, Emma anonymously polled the Stonehouse restaurant on its Instagram page, asking for details about the dress code.

The answer was: “The dress code is to wear what you feel comfortable in.”

Emma said: “I am beyond upset and disgusted with the manager’s attitude and the service I was provided.

“She discriminated against me and my clothes. I want to speak up for other women as I believe we have the right to wear a garment without being judged, looked down on or ridiculed.”

She added: “Obviously if I went to a very fancy restaurant I wouldn’t wear a crop top. But this was a glorified pub and beer garden on a sunny day!

Stonehouse Pizza and Carvery is owned by Mitchells & Butler.

When asked why Emma was confronted with the manager, a spokesperson said: “All dress code decisions are at the discretion of the restaurant manager.

“We would like to apologize for the delay in our service. We had an incredibly busy day due to the weather and our team was much busier than usual.”