A restaurant in Italy has made headlines around the world, after it offered free bottles of wine for guests who wish to go tech free.
Since the rise of the mobile phone, restaurants have been inundated with guests glued to their mobile phones instead of being immersed in the atmosphere. For many, the trend has gone too far.
Owner of the Al Condominio restaurant, Angel Lella, said the aim was to encourage diners to chat to each other, instead of spending the entirety of their time in the restaurant on their device.
Lella added that the format was chosen so that customers could choose to renounce their technology whilst enjoying a conversation with fellow diners, in the attempt to operate the restaurant differently from others. He also said that the urge to be on their mobile phone was like a drug for many diners.
For those willing to participate, mobile phones are placed in separate boxes, under lock and key, and kept at the restaurant's entrance. After they are done with their meal, their mobile phones are unlocked. Showing the waiter a key to the box will issue diners their complimentary bottle of wine.
The restaurant has seen a wave of attendance from customers in response to the initiative, and have been very willing to accommodate their phones whilst they dine. Lella said almost 90 percent of customers have participated.
He said it was a very beautiful thing to see when guests exchange with one another to embrace the idea and go tech-free.
Al Condomion is believed to be the first restaurant in the Veneto area to employ the campaign, although the concept isn’t new to the Italian market. Tuscany restaurant Separe 1968 implemented a similar offer, where guests were rewarded with vouchers in the trade of giving up their mobile phones.
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