Belmont Chick-fil-A requires minors to have parents before and after school

BELMONT, N.C. — A Chick-fil-A in Belmont is putting a policy in place saying teens will need a parent with them before and after school. Other nearby business owners say they are also considering restrictions.

South Point High School is right across the street from the Chick-fil-A. Some business owners said parents who don’t want to fight traffic on campus will pick up their children there. They said some students even stay there for hours.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon saw a flood of students coming down the hill Wednesday when school ended. A group of students were outside the Chick-fil-A.

Now, the restaurant has a notice posted saying patrons must be 18 or accompanied by an adult to enter during the two hours before school starts and the hour and a half after school.

One 14-year-old talked to Lemon with permission from his father.

“Some people make trouble over there but it’s not everyone,” AJ Ulli said.

Operators at Chick-fil-A wouldn’t talk about the restrictions. But other business owners in the shopping center have their warning signs ready to post soon. They didn’t want to go on camera, but they told Lemon the area has resembled a daycare for overactive teens.

Adrianna Phillips owns a travel agency there.

“I’ve had to go out to make sure the kids are OK and not starting to get into fights,” she said.

Another operator told Lemon that teens have vandalized bathrooms, raced shopping carts in the parking lot, and become loud and aggressive when they were asked to stop.

Police said they had been called there for a report of a fight with several students watching, among other incidents. Phillips said she hasn’t seen those incidents, but said teens must remember they are running businesses.

“We certainly don’t want a distractor to our businesses because of inappropriate behavior, or maybe just too many children in the area,” she said.

Simone Brackett shops there often and said she has seen the teens in stores.

“I’m out all of the time and I never have any problems with the kids,” she said.

Other Business owners say Ulli has a point. Most students behave, but they said those who misbehave are hurting their businesses.

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