Restaurant launches 'No Phone Zone' so people actually have to talk to each other

Restaurant chain Frankie & Benny’s is the first in the UK to trial banning mobile phones from being used during dinner.

Their 'No Phone Zone' campaign hopes to encourage diners to eat without the disruption of technology, and to spend more time talking to each other rather than scrolling through their phones.

Waiters and waitresses will ask customers for their phones to be put into a ‘No Phone Zone’ box before eating. If the diners agree and last the entire duration of their meal without looking at their phones, children 14 and under eat free of charge.

The ‘No Phone Zone’ campaign has been rolled out across all 250 Frankie & Benny’s chains in the UK, and will run until 7th December.

The company was inspired by a nationwide poll which showed seven out of 10 children wishing their parents spent less time glued to their phones and more time with them.

However, it seems it isn’t just parents who have trouble prying themselves away from screens.

A recent report by Deloitte surveyed people aged 16 to 75 years old, and results suggest the country is becoming increasingly reliant on their smartphones overall.

46 per cent of people in the UK admitting they have a constant need to check their phones, and another 31 per cent said they have less face-to-face communication with friends and family, even when they are spending time with them.