UK Family Restaurant Chain Bans Use of Cell Phones at the Table

Want to get a free (yes, free!) meal for your kid? If you live in the UK, just stop by Frankie and Benny’s for a bite to eat. But there’s one catch: No cell phones allowed.

The Italian-American restaurant chain announced its “No Phone Zone” initiative to promote family time sans scrolling, The Independent reports. The campaign runs from Nov. 29 through Dec. 7, and families at the chain’s 250 locations will be asked to drop their cells in their table’s phone holder box. Children of those who chalk up their smartphones will be able to enjoy a meal from the kid’s menu, free of charge.

“We looked at various ways we could encourage people to engage more at the dinner table, and we’ve found giving families the chance to part with their devices for a mere couple of hours is a great way to bring them closer and embrace family time,” a spokesperson from Frankie and Benny’s tells the Daily Mail.

The restaurant’s move was inspired by a recent poll, which surveyed 1,500 children and parents and found 56 percent of British kids wish they had more time for conversations with their parents, the Daily Mail reports.

The survey revealed a bunch of other interesting takeaways:

• An estimated 7 out of 10 children wish their parents would spend less time on the phone and more with them
• At least 8 percent of kids have tried to hide a parent’s phone in a scheme to gain attention
• Fifteen percent think their parents’ phone use means moms and dads would rather be on their phone than talk with them
• Forty-six percent of kids would like to take the device away from their parents during dinnertime

Kids weren’t the only ones who had a lot to say. Many parents who participated confirmed they use their phones a lot throughout the day, and often during “family time” moments. Most notable, 26 percent admit to checking their phones during dinner, 23 percent say they check while their kid is talking about their day and an alarming 7 percent came clean about looking at their screen while driving their kids around.

The restaurant’s week-long ban is a test run to gage customer feedback and decide whether or not the “No Phone Zone” will become a permanent policy at the eatery, it revealed to The Independent.

We’re all guilty of being a little too attached to our phones. We live in a digital world, where it seems almost impossible to go more than 15 minutes without checking phones for missed calls and texts, emails or social media notifications. That said, a 2015 study revealed parents’ use of smart devices may have a negative effect on kids, and a 2017 study even linked kids’ bad behavior to their parents’ phone use.

Whether or not you’re all for Frankie and Benny’s ban or you think it’s completely bogus, remember how important family time is for our little ones’ healthy development.