Another Toddler Served Alcohol

Earlier this week I wrote about the Madison Heights, Michigan Applebee's Restaurant serving a 15-month old a Margarita instead of Apple Juice. I also wrote about the changes that Applebee's is making as a result of this.


Only this time it was at the Olive Garden in Lakeland, Florida. An almost 3-year-old boy was served Sangria instead of Orange Juice. Another toddler served alcohol. I know what you're thinking, Sangria is Red and Orange Juice is, well, Orange. Not the case here. Olive Garden offers a Tropical Sangria which is made with white wine. Still, the color is not Orange Juice orange. It's more of a peachy-orange. And the kid's cups at Olive Garden are clear plastic.


This child was also taken to a medical facility where he received fluids and is doing well today. The mother has an attorney, but it is not clear whether or not she will sue the company.  Her attorney contacted media outlets AFTER the story aired about the Applebee's incident.

In a statement, Olive Garden stated that this was an isolated incident caused by an employee not following the company’s strict operating procedures, though there was not mention of what those procedures were. Olive Garden has announced that Sangria will now be a made to order beverage, rather than prepped and stored in a container at the bar.


This scary incident could happen to your family. In a small restaurant in your neighborhood. Here’s a little reminder of what you should do while dining out with small children:


Protect your kids. CHECK THE CONTENTS YOURSELF. You check the temperature of the food before serving it, don’t you? Why is checking the contents of a cup any different? To me, this is common sense, but evidently checking your kid’s drink isn’t something most people do. I always do, and so should you. Remember, we signed up to protect our kids, to ensure their safety. And, this includes when we {get a night off from cooking and} take them to restaurants! Take some responsibility for your child’s safety.


Do you check your child’s beverage before they drink it? Will you now?