Recently, we went to dinner with our closest friends. They have no children of their own, but they don't mind us bringing our kids along. In fact, they are our children's godparents, and they rather enjoy having time with the kids.

When we got to the local Applebees, a place where we had dined several times, we realized that they were nowhere near as busy as normal. We figured we had just caught them at a good time, but we soon learned that they weren't busy because no one wants to go there anymore.

Why don't they want to go there? For starter's, they are no longer family friendly. When we were seated, the hostess told us she would return with a highchair. We never saw her again. After our waitress finally arrived, we asked her for a highchair as well. She never brought it. After quite some time, I realized that none of the babies in the restaurant were sitting in a highchair or booster seat- they were all in parents' laps. I finally located the highchairs myself and brought one to the table. Afterward, I saw many other parents get up and get their own highchairs as well.

They no longer have crackers, something most restaurants keep on hand to serve with salads or give to families with fussy kids who are beyond ready for their dinner. Not a problem, but they don't even offer to let you order for the kids ahead of time so that your child can eat rather than fuss. And the incredibly long periods of time between ordering and receiving drinks, appetizers, or meals was enough to have our baby in hysterics by the time we left.

I can't believe how fast some restaurants are going downhill with their customer service! Thank goodness I know other places to go where the service is much better!