Anne-Claire Paré est la référence française en matière de tendances internationales en restauration.
The idea is to reward customers who do away with their phones during their meal to (re)create a more convivial, relaxed atmosphere.
You may well already have noticed that eating out at the local restaurant has begun to resemble smartphone hell, with people tapping on their smartphones or taking photos of each and every dish. Eva, a restaurant in Los Angeles, has found the solution — as well as pulling off an excellent publicity stunt: all customers who leave their cell phones at the entrance are offered a 5% discount on the total bill.
Owner Mark Gold came up with this approach so that his customers would refocus on their plates… and it seems more than half of them have decided to opt in!
Owner Mark Gold.
“For us, it’s really not about people disrupting other guests. We want people to connect again. Eva is home, and we want to create that environment of home. It’s about two people sitting together and just connecting without the distraction of a phone. We’re trying to create an ambiance where you come in and really enjoy the experience, the food and the company”he explained to radio station KPCC.
In recent years, technology has forced its way into restaurants. Diners have transformed themselves into food paparazzi or avid food critics who post their reviews onto Yelp or TripAdvisor in real time.
Eva’s initiative is like a breath of fresh air in an increasingly technoid world… And in the short term at least, this audacity has brought the restaurant extensive media coverage. For all that, it risks being an isolated phenomenon: many restaurants, eager to appeal to a younger crowd, tend to advocate “connected” guests via iPads, QR codes and other weapons of technological persuasion…
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