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Cigarette smoke may be gone from restaurant dining rooms, but some owners say a new distraction is affecting the experience: customers glued to their phones.
Bars and restaurants are finding increasingly creative ways to get diners to focus more on the experience and less on their screens, from locked pouches like those used in schools to a free bottle of wine.
At Antagonist, a cocktail bar in Charlotte, North Carolina, guests receive a lockable pouch for their phones upon entry — one example of devices becoming the “new cigarettes” in restaurants, as The Wall Street Journal recently put it.
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The goal is “to bring back a little slice of human connection that we all feel has been lost with technology,” Adam Horner, Antagonist’s general manager, told the outlet.
Some restaurants are asking guests to set aside their phones and reconnect over food and conversation. (iStock)
The Saloon, a Washington, D.C., bar with no televisions, prohibits phone use altogether. A regular told the Journal the policy pushes back against a bar culture that has become “very insular and not very fun” because of phones.
Eulalie, a bistro in Manhattan, states its no-phone policy at the entrance and on its handwritten menus. Co-owner Tina Vaughn told the Journal that diners welcome it.
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“People want an excuse,” she said. “They’re dying for someone to say, ‘You can get off that. It’s OK.'”
Philadelphia’s Hop Sing Laundromat also bans calls, texting, photos and selfies as part of its tightly controlled speakeasy experience, according to reports, and guests are briefed on the rules upon arrival.
Critics say enforcing no-phone policies can create awkward moments for guests and staff. (iStock)
Other spots, meanwhile, are taking a more subtle approach.
The Edge Harlem in New York City does not offer Wi-Fi and displays a sign on the bar that says, “No Wi-Fi. No Screens. Connect With Each Other,” the Journal reported.
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Across the Atlantic, restaurants are trying different approaches, according to The Guardian. Spy Bar in London places stickers over phone camera lenses, while AI Condominio in Verona, Italy, offers diners a free bottle of wine if patrons hand over their phones before eating.
The practice appears most common at curated, higher-end experiences such as tasting-menu restaurants, cocktail lounges and listening bars, Fox News Digital previously reported, but even some major chains are experimenting with phone limitations.
Some operators believe less screen time at the table can lead to a more immersive meal. (iStock)
Chick-fil-A offers a “Cellphone Coops Challenge” at select locations, so groups can stash their phones in a box while they eat in exchange for free ice cream.
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The movement comes as phones have become as common as place settings, with people snapping food photos, taking videos, making loud calls and scrolling through social media during meals.
Phones can disrupt the carefully timed rhythm of service, especially when a drink or dish is meant to be served at a certain temperature or with an explanation, Sanwar Mal Khokhar, a Dallas-based mixologist and beverage program leader, told Fox News Digital.
Some hospitality professionals say a quick photo can be an acceptable part of the modern dining experience. (iStock)
Flash photography, filming that blocks service areas and recording nearby diners without regard for privacy can affect both staff and other guests, he added.
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Still, a universal phone ban would go too far, Khokhar said.
“Taking a quick photo of the drink or food is fine, checking a message is alright or looking up an unknown ingredient is OK,” Khokhar said. “All these things are, I think, part of modern life.”
Some supporters say the policies could help restore a more social bar atmosphere. (iStock)
Rather than confiscating devices, he suggested voluntary phone-free events, screen-free sections or a small surprise from the kitchen or bar for guests who choose to participate.
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Rachael Barclay, founder of Seattle-based Vantage and former general manager of the Columbia Tower Club, said that while “there’s something to phones being the new cigarette,” their overuse is “a societal problem, not a restaurant problem.”
“A locked pouch is the opposite of hospitality.”
Barclay also said frequent phone calls are an “operations problem” that better pacing, engaging service and a more inviting table experience could fix.
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“A locked pouch is the opposite of hospitality,” Barclay told Fox News Digital. “I do believe that phones have ruined bars … but banning them and putting them in a pouch, I think we’re going a little too far.”
Phone use at the dinner table has become part of modern life for many. (David Silverman/Getty Images)
Khokhar similarly noted that a guest having to explain that they got a call from their child or a doctor is not hospitality, either.
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“If people are not constantly checking notifications, there are more chances for conversation,” he added. “The guest will see and notice the food differently.”