Should smartphones be allowed during mealtime?

CHENNAI: In April, Debu-Chan, a restaurant in Tokyo prohibited the use of smartphones by customers during dining to avoid excessive sitting and keep the queues moving. The restaurant observed that customers were neglecting their food as they were occupied watching videos. We interviewed restaurateurs and experts from city hotels to gather their opinions on this decision and whether it should be implemented in Chennai.

According to Chef Koushik S, the culinary operations officer of Eatitude, people in a democratic country are free to use their mobile phones in public places. “As much as we’d like to ban the use of phones altogether, we have to accept that it’s not practical to pry people away from their screens. It is up to individual restaurants to decide whether they want to create a no-phone zone during mealtime. Some establishments may prefer a more old-school approach and want their customers to fully appreciate the food and dining experience without distractions, while others may think it’s hip to let their diners snap and share pictures of their dishes with all their Instagram followers. However, restaurants should strike a balance between keeping customers engaged while also being respectful to other diners,” he says. Koushik believes that customers may forget about their screens if the food is delicious.

Anitha Mohan, the architect and director of Kraft Retail Dining, suggests that avoiding smartphones during meals allows customers to focus on the food and ambience, making the experience more enjoyable and conscious. “Kraft Retail Dining has introduced board games and visual displays to engage customers during their wait and mealtime,” says Anitha.

Arokyadas Maimarulla, the director of food and beverage at Sheraton Grand, believes that smartphones cannot be banned in the hotel as they are a tool to promote restaurants on social media. “It is an indirect marketing promotion for the hotel which helps increase footfalls. However, interactive engagement tools such as photo booths or limited phone usage offers could be implemented in the hotel,” opines Arokyadas.