Phone-free restaurants are trending as Chick-fil-A tests ice cream incentive

Diners at a growing number of restaurants and bars are being asked to stash away their phones — or even lock them up — as part of a push for more memorable nights out.

The trend is gaining traction across the U.S., with more spots experimenting with restrictions, incentives or locked pouches, Fox News Digital recently reported.

Charlotte cocktail bar Antagonist places guests’ phones in locked pouches for about two hours — while Delilah, an upscale supper club with locations across the country, has a no-phones, no-posting policy, according to Axios.

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Even Chick-fil-A has tested the tactic with a Maryland location offering free ice cream to families who keep phones off the table.

The trend is especially common at high-end, curated spots like listening bars, supper clubs, cocktail lounges and restaurants offering tasting menus, said Ben Tannenbaum, New York-based vice president of partnerships at nightlife company LineLeap.

Screens often compete with conversation at dinner, a survey found. (iStock)

“The driver isn’t really an anti-phone sentiment,” he told Fox News Digital. “It’s that guests are going out less often than they used to and spending more per visit when they do, so operators are trying to make sure the visit delivers.”

The trend has been building for years, experts say, and it’s picked up speed as more people recognize the downsides of constant screen time.

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“The phone-free dining trend began prior to COVID, but it’s increased in momentum in recent years, especially as people have come to understand the negative impacts of overuse of personal devices,” Amanda Belarmino, a hospitality professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Fox News Digital.

Reading reviews and photographing food during the dining experience can take away from the experience, hospitality experts say. (iStock)

She said unplugged meals can help diners stay focused on both their food and companions, and said it may even be financially savvy for restaurants.

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“Diners who are engaged in the experience are more likely to eat multiple courses or order a second drink,” she said.

They’re also more likely to enjoy their food if it hasn’t gotten cold while they’re busy snapping photos or reading other diners’ reviews before forming their own opinions, Belarmino noted.

Critics say enforcing no-phone policies can create awkward moments for guests and staff. (iStock)

Beyond business considerations, experts agree the movement reflects a return to long-standing social norms around dining.

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Being present while dining with others is a “timeless principle,” according to New York etiquette expert Nick Leighton.

“When your phone’s out, it’s sending the signal that whoever is with you at that moment isn’t as important as what’s on the phone,” Leighton told Fox News Digital.

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Others say the trend is being driven by the mental strain of always being connected.

“The push behind phone-free dining is cognitive overload,” said Dr. Vinay Saranga, a psychiatrist and founder of The North Carolina Institute of Advanced NeuroHealth. “Phone-free dining offers a form of psychological relief that will foster meaningful connection again and allow us to focus on the present moment.”

Experts say the movement highlights the importance of being present at the table. (iStock)

But enforcing phone-free policies can come with trade-offs.

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“Enforcement is, at best, awkward in practice,” Tannenbaum said. “Pouches, signage and servers asking guests to put phones away all introduce friction that can undercut the experience the policy was trying to create.”

He does not expect phone-free dining to become the norm everywhere, and predicts it will last as a sub-category, not as an industry-wide shift.