Restaurants are banning smartphones – could you go an evening without yours?
Let’s face it, most of us probably have an unhealthy relationship with our smartphone. We’re told constantly that technology is ruining our lives; the science says that they shorten our attention spans, diminish our relationships and make us mentally lazy. It’s not the technology itself that’s the problem, but rather how we use it – and the hospitality industry is starting to put its foot down. Restauranteurs and bar owners are done with us staring at our phones instead of being present, and enjoying the very simple pleasure of sitting round a table with people we love.
In the past few years, an increasing number of restaurants and bars have begun applying no-phone policies in an attempt to help diners engage in the experience of eating and drinking. The Soho institution French House has long operated a ‘no-phone’ rule, which, as its website says, makes “it a haven for conversationalists”. Another early pioneer, the critically acclaimed St John, which has several outposts across London, has banned devices since its opening in 1994. The Spy Bar at the OWO Raffles London, the Mayfair-based members' club Maison Estelle, and the 1950s-inspired Italian-American restaurant Louis in Manchester, all ask guests to cover their phone cameras with stickers. Soho House famously discourages members from taking photos in a bid to retain privacy. “It has completely changed the atmosphere,” says Spy Bar’s manager Sotirios Konomi. “We know people can just peel off the sticker and take a picture, but nobody does. Everyone’s really embraced the idea of leaving their phone in pockets and bags. They’re enjoying themselves and it creates a really relaxed atmosphere.” Part of the aim at Spy Bar was to create an ambience in keeping with its subterranean speakeasy setting in rooms once used by MI5, but Konomi thinks the benefits go beyond the concept. “Why do we go to bars and restaurants? We go to eat and drink, but also to relax and have fun. Our phones tie us to work and responsibilities – not looking at them for a few hours helps us to feel less overwhelmed.”
When we stop taking photos of what we’re eating and drinking, he says, we might just start to appreciate the taste more. “Over the last few years, I’ve noticed more people coming to a destination just to take pictures,” he says. “Without phone cameras, people are enjoying the cocktails more; they are enjoying the flavours, not just the aesthetic.” The no-phone request at Louis has been equally successful, enabling guests to absorb the live performances distraction-free. “We wanted to create a more lived-in experience, forcing guests to interact more and take in the performances of the artists,” says Adam Jones, the founder of the Permanently Unique Group, which owns the restaurant. “The concept is inspired by 1950s New York and we aim to recreate the same kind of atmosphere. Guests have really immersed themselves in the experience and found themselves more in the moment.”
It’s not just a UK trend either. Guests at Al Condominio in Verona, Italy, receive a free bottle of wine for locking away their phone during the meal, while in New York, every table at Hearth is provided with a small box in which diners are encouraged to place their phones. The LA-based chef Jordan Kahn vetoes any electronics, tablets or phones from his highly creative restaurant Vespertine, and last year the restaurant critic Giles Coren praised a French bistro in Alsace called Petits Plats de Mamama for prohibiting phones, noting that not only has it been full ever since but is “serving more desserts than ever, as customers linger over their meals to finish conversations they never used to have”. It’s a similar story at Spy Bar in London; far from deterring customers, the lo-fi approach to phones is drawing them in. “We don’t use social media at all, and you can only find us through word of mouth,” says Konomi. “I honestly think people are enjoying the time apart from their devices. They stay longer too – people forget what the time is.”
The space between tech development and our personal wellbeing is expected to widen in the next coming years, driven by Gen Z, who prioritise mindfulness in a way older generations are still learning to. Fiona Harkin, the director of foresight at trends platform LS:N Global, says the no-phone zones at restaurants and bars speak to a new form of luxury, one where our time is not dictated or interrupted by our devices. “There’s growing recognition that time away from technology is seen as a luxury,” she explains. “By encouraging guests to switch off their phones, these establishments aim to enhance the dining and social experience, allowing patrons to connect more deeply with each other and their surroundings.” From a business viewpoint, it’s also a win. “By offering such experiences, businesses are not only responding to a desire for more meaningful interactions, but also differentiating themselves in a market saturated with digital engagement,” says Harkin.
Of course, the conversation surrounding digital devices in restaurants and bars is part of a bigger problem: our dependency on smartphones in general. We compulsively overuse them. The average British person spends more than four hours per day on their mobile, reports Statista. I’m among the addicts – I intermittently delete Instagram after finding myself mindlessly scrolling and feeling insecure for the umpteenth time. Nicholas Rose, a UKCP registered psychotherapist with 20 years experience of dealing with compulsive behaviours and addictions, says that problematic smartphone use is something that's increasingly being brought to therapy – either as a primary concern or as something that arises through the course of treatment. “Our patients talk about loss of time and problems with engaging in other aspects of life such as relationships, work, life administration and hobbies, as well as noticing irrational thinking around the importance of their smart phone and devices,” he tells us. “Mealtimes are an occasion often mentioned by our patients. We know ourselves, in great part, through our relationships with others, and mealtimes are often a time when there is an expectation of communication and connection, so the disturbance of this is noticed and can cause conflict.”
There is also no contesting that when we are using our phones, we are not fully engaged with anything else. Whatever we’re looking at, our device is, in that moment, more important than the company we’re with. To avoid causing offence, Rose says it’s worth assessing whether everyone is on the same page. “The impact on others depends upon their expectations and behaviours – maybe this is a relationship whereby all are happy to sit together but be engaged with their respective devices,” he says. “The impact and whether conflict arises will depend upon how agreement and consensus is reached about relational behaviours.”
Taking a break from screens while we’re eating with loved ones doesn’t seem like a Herculean task, but many of us still struggle to leave them out of sight. Smartphones are, after all, designed to be addictive. We worry we’ll miss an important call or what might happen if there’s an emergency. “For some people it might be about keeping up-to-date with something or someone; for others it might be about having a distraction that helps them cope with a situation,” says Rose. “Whatever the reason, it’s helpful to think about what you get from your use of devices and then see how comfortable you feel about your dependancy. When we became aware of our dependancy we can think about other ways to comfort ourselves.”
Phones are an inescapable part of our professional and social lives. They have simultaneously made our lives better and worse. Perhaps the rise of restaurants and bars discouraging us from using them is just a reminder the world is viewed better IRL, and that, from time to time, it’s worth enjoying what’s in front of us.
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