Michigan Woman Shamed, Told To ‘Cover Up’ While Breastfeeding at Restaurant

The Clinton Township restaurant has already issued an apology.

Ashlie Hanel posted on Facebook last Friday that, while she and her fiance were dining at California Pizza Kitchen, her baby got hungry, so she began to nurse, stating that the restaurant was "darker."

She says that the manager-on-duty came by their table to ask her to cover up, possibly with a towel, for "privacy." She ended up arguing with the manager and asking for their corporate information, and she and her fiance left.

California Pizza Kitchen issued this statement:

CPK adamantly supports women’s right to breastfeed, anywhere, anytime. The upsetting experience this guest and her family experienced in our Partridge Creek restaurant was unacceptable, wrong and in violation of our policy. Breastfeeding is permitted, protected and welcomed in our restaurants.

We have reached out to the guest to express our deepest apology, and we are taking immediate action to ensure this never happens again. This includes immediate retraining of our management team and staff at this location. We will also take steps to ensure that our employees nationwide thoroughly understand our policies on this very important right.