Would You Ditch Your Cell Phone At Dinner For A Discount?
The owner of a restaurant in Los Angeles thinks the best part of sitting down to a nice meal is, well, sitting down to a nice meal. And talking to the people you’re with. And not letting anyone’s cell phone interrupt things.
Mark Gold, owner and chef of Eva Restaurant, says he kept looking across his dining room and seeing the same setup on just about every table: plate, glass, silverware, and cell phone. In fact, a lot of his customers were bent over their phones, tweeting, texting and answering email – often for the entire meal - completely ignoring each other, and barely even noticing the food.
So, in order to create a more relaxed dining experience, he started offering to knock 5 percent off the restaurant bill, as long as everyone sitting at the table was willing to check their phones at the door. He says the plan is about getting away from “distracted dining” and creating a relaxed atmosphere, where you can enjoy your food, and have an actual conversation with the people you’re with! So, how’s the new policy going? So far, fewer than half of his customers have taken advantage of the offer.
Would you be willing to give up your phone at a restaurant to get a discount?
