I don't recall anyone saying their dinner was ruined over a stranger wearing a hat, just that societal norms and decorum have declined.
It is well within a restaurant's power to post and enforce basic dining etiquette standards, and for those who are not dressed appropriately or have small children to be steered into the pub.
I guess it boils down to expecting people to do the right thing, and as a society, we fall short on some of the basics. If you have ever had the table next to the blowhard loudly talking on a cell phone at a restaurant or a child allowed to cry for longer than fifteen seconds, you know what I mean.
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