Priscilla's Pantry — Restaurant in Bernards Township

Hi,

I'm the customer being spoken about with two young children. First, I would like to thank the person who wrote that review for seeing the situation for what it was.

To the owner - I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective, and I know your concern ultimately comes from a place of care. That said, I’d like to clarify a few things since the way the situation has been described doesn’t reflect what actually occurred.

The week prior, the baby was never taken out of her car seat, so I’m not sure what prompted any concern then. As for this past visit, I want to be clear that the baby was not left unattended. While I recognize the chair isn’t intended for infants, I was standing near her the entire time, with either a hand or an eye on her. I only briefly turned to help my toddler clean up a spill (right next to the chair), because I genuinely felt bad that he made a mess—but I was never distracted. I was still right there beside both of them. I also want to note that I was not overwhelmed. I'm a mother of two young children, and like many others, I juggle a lot, but that doesn't mean I'm inattentive or careless. The narrative that I was overwhelmed to the point of neglect is not only inaccurate—it’s hurtful.

Regarding our time outside - we were outside afterward for no more than 15 -20 minutes. While I was well aware of the extreme heat, they were both shaded, the baby had a fan, and were not in distress— my toddler enjoyed a bit of much-needed playtime and to be frank was trying to get some privacy to "go to the bathroom".

I was honestly taken aback by your message and the assumption that I was overwhelmed to the point of neglecting my children in person and in response to that review. That’s simply not the case. We’ve truly enjoyed coming to your cafe for our weekly Friday coffee dates—it’s been a special little tradition that my toddler and I both loved. It’s disappointing to feel so misjudged, especially by another mother. A little more grace and understanding in situations like this can go a long way.

I respect your role as the owner and your responsibility to maintain a safe environment, but would have appreciated a more compassionate and less judgmental approach.

Wishing you the best, Danielle

Edit to respond:

I want to clarify that I am not “spamming” your business with bad reviews. I simply shared the situation with a few close friends, and it seems that some of them decided to read your public responses and form their own opinions. I was more upset that I truly enjoyed my weekly Friday visits but felt as though I could never come back given my most recent experience. I did not initially plan to leave a review myself, as it’s not in my nature to be mean-spirited. However, after reading your response to another review—where you referenced me and implied I was inattentive, overwhelmed, and putting my children in harm’s way—I felt the need to say something. That comment was hurtful and misrepresented me as a mother. I was not overwhelmed in the slightest. I was very aware of my children and their surroundings and was consistently redirecting my toddler when needed. My baby was safe, I was nearby (not behind), and when we moved outside, we were in the shade for a short time with a fan during supervised play.

While I do understand your initial concern, what’s upsetting is that you chose to publicly mom-shame and characterize me based on a few brief interactions—through that comment. That’s what led me to speak up, not out of spite, but out of a need to defend myself and my character. I truly respect small business owners and fellow moms.

Edit: The owner deleted her response to the review I was referencing (JLares), which is what prompted me to leave my review. Likely because she recognized how accusatory, distasteful, and mom-shaming it came across. I’ve updated my review to include a screenshot...

I witnessed something here today that made me not want to come back. There was a mom with a toddler and a baby near my table. The mom was very attentive to her children. She was clearly just trying to have a treat while also spending time with her kids. At one point, the mom took a picture of both of her kids sitting on an arm chair with sides. She briefly had the baby on the chair as she stepped back to snap the picture but the baby was fully supported by the chair and older child. A worker literally came over and mom shamed this woman as if she were dangling the baby over a cliff. She said something along the lines of “we are all moms and you are making us uncomfortable.” This was very extreme and the mom was not doing ANYTHING wrong. I found the incident to be so peculiar and unnecessary. The mom was clearly alarmed, embarrassed, and upset but said ok and left as soon as possible. The judgement towards a mom who was just trying to enjoy her day with her kids was completely out of line.

EDIT: response to your response, Priscilla.

Shame on you for going as far as to insinuate a mother is neglecting her children without any basis to your claims. This behavior is absolutely unacceptable. I am happy to see this mother’s response defending herself but I am sorry that she even has to do that. Thank you, Priscilla, for making it clear that you do not welcome families with young children in your cafe. You can look for me in all of the local mom groups on social media. I will be speaking about this so other mother’s do not have to go through what this mother did. If you are not a family- friendly environment,...

I recently ate at Priscilla's Pantry with my two children. We ordered grilled cheese, coffee, and muffins. We sat at one of their tables in the back, a beautiful room with a charming fireplace. The meal progressed as one might expect with two young children: a drink spilled, the kids were in & out of their chairs, and muffin crumbs fell to the floor. I started feeling slightly overwhelmed when my 5-year-old asked for his water and I realized we'd left it in the car. I hesitantly handed him a $5 bill and told him to go buy a water from the counter. I guess he succeeded because he returned to the table with change and a water bottle. Two seconds later, my daughter was toddling back to the counter and I gave chase. I ran into (almost literally) a woman who worked there. She asked if the 5-year-old was my son, and I confirmed he was, worriedly waiting for a complaint or to be chastised for not supervising his purchase of the water bottle. She looked me right in the eye and said, "What nice manners your son had! You're doing a good job, Mom." The woman may have been a fellow mother who knows the joy, relief, and pride these words bring. Either way, her kindness touched my heart. We left Priscilla's with smiles, full bellies, and an appreciation for this place that not only tolerated us, but welcomed us. Excellent food and beautiful ambiance aside, my family frequents Priscilla's because it's a model of how a local small business...