Food News

This Restaurant Is Trying To Ban Cell Phones — You Have To See How People Are Reacting

The U.K.’s Frankie & Benny’s restaurant chain has become everyone’s grumpy father/Luke from Gilmore Girls. The eatery, which serves American-Italian food, has “banned” phones from the dinner table. By doing so, the chain hopes to help customers “celebrate family time.”

Between November 29th and December 7th, Frankie & Benny’s customers will be asked to place their devices into the “no phone box” placed on their table. If patrons resist the urge to check their phones, their table will receive a free kids’ meal.

It’s important to note that giving up one’s phone is not mandatory.

According to Insider, the chain decided to try out their “no phone box” idea after the restaurant ran a survey and found that 72% of children wish their parents would spend less time on their phones. The same survey found that 70% of kids believe their parents use their phones more than they do.

However, like the angsty teens we all are, this new suppertime rule has not gone over well. Frankie & Benny’s customers have taken to Twitter to whine about the no-phone injustice — even though this is simply a trial run, and again, it’s not mandatory to participate.

“First of all, go to hell,” U.K.-based journalist Felicity Hannah tweeted. “I am not handing over a device that cost £700 new to your staff so I can sit and eat fries that taste of oil that hasn’t been changed in too long.”

Hannah then went on to berate the restaurant chain for assuming that parents are on their phones for unimportant reasons. She then wrote that she would never take advice from a place that serves kids “a strawberry milkshake that comes with a bloody doughnut actually wedged into the top with squirty cream.”

Some echoed Hannah’s outrage.

But others reminded Hannah, if you don’t like the rule, don’t eat there.

Frankie & Benny’s told Insider that they would keep the promotion going if customers responded well. But after seeing how upset some patrons have become, we wouldn’t be surprised if the “no phone box” is simply a flash in the pan.

Samantha Wachs

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