Phone-free restaurants are trending as Chick-fil-A tests an ice cream incentive
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Diners at a growing number of restaurants and bars are being asked to hide their phones – or even turn them off – as part of the push for a memorable night out.
The trend is on the rise across the US, with many areas experimenting with restrictions, incentives or locked bags, Fox News Digital reported recently.
Charlotte cocktail bar Opponent puts guests’ phones in locked bags for about two hours — while Delilah, an upscale supper club with locations across the country, has a no-phone, no-send policy, according to Axios.
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Even Chick-fil-A tested the tactic with a Maryland location offering free ice cream to families who keep phones off the table.
The trend is more common in high-end, select venues such as nightclubs, supper clubs, lounges and restaurants that offer tasting menus, said Ben Tannenbaum, New York-based vice president of partnerships at nightlife company LineLeap.
Screens often compete with conversation at dinner, the survey found. (Stock)
“The driver is not really anti-phone,” he told Fox News Digital. “Tourists are coming out less than before and spending more when they travel, so providers are trying to make sure that travel delivers.”
The trend has been growing for years, experts say, and is accelerating as more people see a decline in screen time.
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“The wireless dining trend started before COVID, but it has grown exponentially in recent years, especially as people have come to understand the negative impact of excessive use of personal devices,” Amanda Belarmino, a hospitality professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fox News Digital.
Reading reviews and photographing food while dining can take away from the experience, say hospitality experts. (Stock)
He said offline dining could help diners stay focused on their meals and their friends, and he said it could make financial sense for restaurants.
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“Diners who do this job are more likely to eat multiple courses or order a second drink,” he said.
They may also enjoy their food if it’s not cold while they’re busy snapping photos or reading reviews from other diners before forming their own opinions, Belarmino notes.
Critics say enforcing no-phone policies can create negative moments for guests and employees. (Stock)
Regardless of business considerations, experts agree that the movement represents a return to long-standing social norms around food.
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Being present when dining with others is “a never-ending routine,” according to New York etiquette expert Nick Leighton.
“When your phone is off, it sends a signal that whoever is with you at that time is not as important as what’s on the phone,” Leighton told Fox News Digital.
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Some say that this trend is driven by mental stress which is always linked.
“The stress of wireless eating is a mental overload,” said Dr. Vinay Saranga, psychiatrist and founder of the North Carolina Institute of Advanced NeuroHealth. “Eating without a phone provides a form of mental relaxation that will also encourage meaningful communication and allow us to focus on the present.”
Experts say this organization highlights the importance of being present at the table. (Stock)
But enforcing free policies can come with trade-offs.
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“Enforcement is, in fact, difficult in practice,” Tannenbaum said. “Bags, signs and servers asking visitors to put their phones away all introduce friction that can diminish the experience the policy was trying to create.”
He doesn’t expect wireless dining to become the norm everywhere, and predicts it will remain a niche, not an industry-wide change.
