'So damn PC': Kiwi café Viv's slams men's changing table suggestion

A Kiwi café has hit back at a Facebook furore over a customer's suggestion of a changing table in the men's toilets, slamming "millennial mums" for being "so damn PC".

Viv's Café in Sanson, north of Wellington, began a furious online debate when it rejected the suggestion from a customer on Facebook, saying they aim to "create an atmosphere of times gone by, when mums were the ones who changed their babies." 

Viv's Cafe
Viv's Kitchen claim their food is "the way it used to be". Photo credit: Facebook.

The debate was kicked off by a Facebook user named Rebecca, who posted: "Just some feedback - please consider putting a change table in the men's toilets. It is dad's responsibility too to change their baby's nappy, and not just fall back on the mum,"

The café responded on Thursday, saying they "have a lot more on our plate to worry about than another change table being put in the men's toilet... however, fathers are more than welcome to use the changing table in the ladies if they request to do so." 

changing room table request to Viv's Cafe
Photo credit: Facebook.

The response garnered a strongly negative response online, particularly within mother's forums. Talking to Newshub on Thursday, café co-owner and Viv's husband Kevan Withers said it's been "blown out of proportion".

He said they recently renovated their toilets to make them wheelchair accessible, including a $500 foldable change table that "rarely gets used".

"I'm not going to try and bend anyone's ear, but we run a café based on how things used to be, in the good old days," he said.

"Good food, good attention to detail, good service.

"When I was a kid, if we were lucky enough to go anywhere, if one of my brothers or sisters needed their nappy changed, my parents commandeered the backseat of the Mark 2 Zephyr and whatever was soiled was taken home.

"Now, I'm not trying to be high and mighty about it, but we not only have to supply changing tables, we have to clean up your mess and dispose of your soiled nappies."

Withers also said it would not be difficult for a father to use the women's toilets to change an infant.

"As soon as the poo cubicles become free the womens toilet would be closed for as long as it takes for a father to do that chore."

He said there are people online threatening to boycott the café - but he's not worried.

"There's a woman who I'd call Robin Hood and her merry band of followers who say they won't come in," Withers said.

"To that I'd say 'Good - let them go' - we've survived without the millennial mums and we'll continue to survive too. We don't want to be dictated to - we provide what we consider a bloody fantastic atmosphere and bloody good food and exceptionally good service from our girls.

"Don't preach to us about how to run a café.  If you don't like it, there's a thousand other cafés that would take you with open arms."

In another post on the Viv's Café Facebook page, the business said it was based on "the way things used to be... before the world went mad and so damn PC." 

Viv's cafe changing room table response
Photo credit: Facebook.

Opinions posted in response were mostly unfavourable to the café's decision.

"You are simply wrong. Put a table in the men's and try acting like a professional," one commenter wrote.

"I think she asked you in a totally acceptable way and your response is nothing short of rude... Shaming her and being an absolute tw*t about it isn't going to help your business," another wrote.

'So damn PC': Kiwi café Viv's slams men's changing table suggestion
Photo credit: Facebook.

The café shot to fame thanks to The AM Show earlier this year, when host Duncan Garner raved about its famous cream horns, which it's now sold more than 100,000 of.

Viv's Café posted a final message to critics on Thursday afternoon saying "people will agree to disagree".

"Thanks for all the feedback, even it was in favour or not". 

'So damn PC': Kiwi café Viv's slams men's changing table suggestion
Photo credit: Facebook.

Newshub.