Jika Jika charging 'corkage' for baby food

Hi there, was in Jika Jika the other day and notice they now charge you £1.50 if you bring your own baby food to feed your little one. I asked one of the staff why this has happened and they feel that some mums take advantage of the high chairs and changing facilities they offer for free (where doesn't offer it for 'free'?) The other alternative is to buy from their limited selection of baby food. Personally I think this is outrageous and alienates Mums. I used to go in there during off-peak times and bolster their sales by buying lots of coffee and often staying on for lunch - they must be raking it in from Mums and this is how we are repaid? I cook most of my son's food and I don't want to be charged for feeding it to him or else be forced to buy a sachet. Hmmm, Jika this is poor form, Bath Mums are not feeling welcome!

That's OUTRAGEOUS!!

I used to go there all the time with my little one before I went back to work. Mums are their main client base - I think it's disgusting.

Wake up Jika Jika - this is SO not cool!

This is so stupid. If it is meant to be a baby friendly cafe then part of that includes letting mums bring their own food to feed their babies. As long as you buy a drink or food then I dont see that you are taking advantage at all. I think they should be careful or they may see some of their customers going elsewhere.

When I think of the money I've spent in that place! Boycott?

Matt Stevens is in The Guardian this morning: "Jika Jika has become probably the most popular coffee shop in Bath and Stevens plans to open a London franchise..." Oops http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/may/10/matt-stevens-interview-saracens-cocaine-ban

Eeek and he has two young babies i'd love to know what his wife thinks about corkage on baby food!!! Roll on the new family cafe at Komedia.

Hi thanks for this info.
I think this is outrageous - I have put this on twitter and local mumsnet to spread the word. We have been there a few times for brunch/lunch and fed our little one with homemade food. However now we certainly won't be going back there! Kindling Coffee in Widcombe have responded saying they are baby feeding friendly!
Incidentally do you face this charge if you are breastfeeding???

Lacking in any commercial sense. Why not take advantage of the fact that mums with babies spend money there and up-sell....oh no, that would require staff with training and pride in their jobs...!

They don't charge for breast feeding but it's probably only a matter of time!

I wonder if it will be scripted on the receipt as "breast corkage"...!

What next? VAT on the 'breast corkage'?!
Holey - I've sent you a DM on here - wasn't sure if you'd noticed!

Bath Chronicle are doing a piece on this for Thursday's edition and are keen to get some reactions from Bath mums - let me know if you want to contribute and I'll send you details

They're not doing themselves any favours are they! Jika Jika was the No.1 choice of coffee shop among my mum-friends when our little ones were babies. Baby no. 2 is now on the way and I was expecting to be a regular visitor again, but not now I've read this. Shocking!

I actually never set foot in the place, despite working nearby, until I had my baby and was pleased to find a baby friendly place to catch up with friends so started going there a fair bit. I am now weaning my baby and am pretty horrified that they could charge for this. No I don't want to buy their jars I make my own food and no I will not go somewhere that charges me to feed my baby (particulary as most of it gets spat out anyway!!!). Do they charge for corkage on bottles of milk as well then?

I am pretty shocked by this too, I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old and I am a regular customer, I have been going since they opened with and without my children. I hope they retract this and rethink how to approach this. As a small business owner I understand the predicament they must be in, I have watched mums ( admittedly a small number) come to Jika Jika, take up numerous seats with high chairs, buggies, handbags, scooters, order themselves one coffee whilst taking up a table for four and then sit there for 2 hours not ordering anything else whilst their children make a mess (with their own food). Previously Jika Jika provided nappies and wipes in the toilets which was a lovely gesture but people took advantage of this and would take items home from the toilets, this was soon stopped. I feel many people take advantage and ruin a good thing, at the end of the day it is a business, a local business which we should support (not a starbucks, not Cafe Nero, M & S or burger King) sadly Jika Jika have approached this totally wrong. They could have continued to welcome children and own cooked healthy food and instead perhaps requested people not take up so much space with buggies and scooters and that they clean up after their childrens mess, especially food brought in that is then spat out on tables,chairs and floors and parents don't clean up after them, which then creates a loss of earnings for the business when their staff are then being paid wages to clean up after 2 or 3 people, when only one person paid £2 for a coffee for 2 hours.

So much for a family friendly business. Do they really want mums and kiddies as customers I ask. I will certainly not be using this establishment again, with or without kiddies. There are plenty of other places in Bath that serve a good food and coffee.
Show your disgust with your feet, and walk away.

I plan to Treehugger - have used Jika on many occasions in the past going to try out Kindling Coffee in Widcombe on Friday instead!

Well said 'Winning Mum'! I've witnessed the very same thing. Still JJ need to retract the corkage, and maybe create a buggy 'parking' area - I usually collapse mine.

The Chronicle has picked up the story on page 2 of today's paper, looks like a similar reaction on their website too: http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Undefined-Headline/article-3546960-detail/article.html

I fwded this link to Matt Stevens on twitter. He has responded with the following: "we are currently looking into this matter and will resolve ASAP. Obviously bath mums are very important to us!"

I was amazed to hear this news but have been going to The Egg Cafe at the back of the Theatre Royal where the staff are really helpful and the whole cafe is extremely child friendly. The staff go out of their way to help mums and the prices are good too. As for charging on baby food, there is no way they would consider this. I often meet a group of friends and our little ones can play happily while we enjoy the coffee.

Agree re the egg cafe. It's got a breastfeeding friendly award notice and deliberately stocks child-friendly snacks. I take mine there as you can have a chat and still see what they're doing in the play bit.

Result! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13411614

I am a dad who visits Jika and I would like to question the depth of vehemence some of the above comments hold. Is there another agenda going on here? I get the impression some people have too much time on their hands and like to get their own way. I enjoy the coffee and food in Jika's and made the choice of whether I wanted to pay to let my child eat Jika food or my own food. I have never had to loose sight of the fact that Jika is a business; if they didn't sell baby food then maybe there would be a reason to question a cost on feeding my child with my food in there. But they do sell baby food.
Yes, you have your result, but I feel sorry for Jika, having to deal with customers such as some of the above. Maybe you are the selfish parents of the very badly-behaved children I have observed, who were left to run around without any respect for other customers or the staff, sit with one coffee for 3 hours, then leave the cafe like a rubbish tip. I'm looking forward to spending time there now, with parents who know how to behave.

Ouch - my little girl is not 1 yet so I am very reluctant to let her eat food that I have't made as I want to keep the salt content etc down. I always clear up after her - often before as well - but don't understand why I should have been charged for something that I can do in any other coffee shop. I agree that there are some people who have clearly taken advantage but please don't tar us all with the same brush.

I could NOT believe this when I read the article in the Chronicle this morning. When I think of the number of mums and babies I see in there, spending money on frankly mediocre coffee and expensive muffins. Perhaps they should think about charging the number of people I see in there using their WiFi for hours on end and only having 1 cup of coffee! Although I think that is mostly Matt Steven's friends...so cross with Jika Jika. They can whistle for my business in future!

I think jika jika has finally had a re-think. About time!

Hi, I'm Harry, owner of PlaySpace Bristol, I've been really interested to hear what bath mums have to say! I was asked by the BBC yesterday to comment on this corkage issue - it's a tricky one. I'm passionate about feeding healthy food to my own children (and to other people's children in my cafe!) But I also understand that many parents of very young children only want them to eat what they've made - quite rightly! Times are tough now, I guess companies have to look closely at the needs of their customers vs the needs of their business. Just for the record I don't charge corkage and hope that I never will !! Harry

I run a cafe and have been colonised by the baby brain facistas. If I was the owner of Jika Jika I'd breath a big sigh of relief and concentrate on another client base. The buggy brigade aren't the only market. If you are fed up with the wailing of babies and tantrumming 2 year olds get along to Jika Jika, the yummy mummies are boycotting the place. Hoorah. Charging corkage on babyfood is a stroke of genius. For the record I'm a father, eldest 23, youngest 5.

Oh dear, this issue was long over and settled - the corkage charge was removed. Not sure that last comment is particularly constructive in the mums chat area.

It might serve to get some mums to understand that the world does not rewvolve around them and their offspring. Some of these websites have a horrid, smug, self satisfied whiff about them.

eberg,
If the constructive side to your post is to reduce your 'mums and babies' clientelle so you 'can concentrate on another client base' then I'm sure you won't mind letting us know which cafe you run.

I am dismayed that some people have used this issue to come out all guns blazing against Mums - really sad that some people in Bath don't support hardworking considerate Mums who just need to get out and about for the sake of their sanity. Shame.

Well that wouldn't be a smart move. Happily I have got my cafe back on to a reasonable footing again. I now have a varied clientelle and moony mums are just part of it.

I agree with bungle, this issue was sorted out last month. I dont know why eberg you make a comment on bath mums if you dont agree with the website and you obviously dont have much respect for mums either.

On the contrary, I have a great deal of respect for people who bring up their kids to be useful, considerate citizens. Unfortunately we seem to be straying away from some well tried principles and many people have begun to see their kids as being special in some way others don't seem to understand about parenting at all and allow their kids to behave like complete brats. Its rare these days to meet younger parents who rteally know what they are doing.

Trip Trap back under your bridge eberg

Okey dokey...................

but its the goats that trip trap..........the troll jumps up