Two London restaurants offer to lock-up mobiles so people actually talk during meals
Two London eateries are set to tackle the plague of phone-checking diners with a new scheme offering to lock-up people's mobiles while they eat.
The Tea Terrace Restaurants and Tea Rooms, found in House of Fraser stores on Oxford Street and Victoria Street, will run an optional ‘Phonetentiary’ scheme, whereby customers can hand over their mobile to be kept in a small locked box for the duration of their meal. The box will be kept on the table and disguised as a book, so as not to look too odd. Only staff will know the combination to get in.
Rowena Shouly, director of the Tea Terrace, said they were hoping to encourage guests to interact more with each other, and less with their digital world. Ms Shouly said: "We want to bring back good old conversations. Very often we see guests, especially families with tweens or teenagers, not engaging in conversation because the children are on their smartphones.
"In the old days the tradition of afternoon tea was a social occasion for the guests to enjoy conversations and a bit of gossip."
Naturally, the phone prison will be available to buy, so customers can try it at home. The Standard presumes waiting staff who know the combination are not included.
It’s thought that as much of 30% of time spent online is dedicated to social media, and social media overuse can be linked to the likelihood of depression. Furthermore, checking your phone during a meal with someone is just plain rude.
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