Restaurant owners Mark and Alejandra Gold offer a new way to keep the pesky phone calls to a minimum while dining at their restaurant. People who dine at Eva Restaurant in Los Angeles will be given a 5 percent discount for leaving their phones with the receptionist for the entirety of their meal.
Mark Gold came up with the concept after having a conversation about how annoying he found it when people were constantly texting, taking pictures or scrolling Facebook on their phones while they ate. Since then, Gold has estimated that 40 to 50 percent of their customers have ditched their phones.
“People have tweeted us, emailed us saying ‘Oh my God, thank you for doing something,’” Gold said in an interview with Huffington Post. “No one has ever really criticized the policy. We understand that people—doctors, parents with kids at home—need their phones, but everyone has been very positive. The incentive is there for those who want to take it.”
Gold believes he is the first to implement a discount for asking customers to refrain from using their cell phones. Eva notifies their patrons of the cell phone policy on their menu. Thanks to Eva Restaurant, people will pay more attention to their food and friends in real life and not on Instagram or Facebook. Plus, everyone loves a discount.
[via HuffPo]
