Customers rewarded for giving up phones at Melbourne café
A Melbourne café is rewarding customers who give up their phones temporarily with discounted food and drinks.
The co-founder of Saint James in Malvern, Craig Tate, says he wants to give them a “wake-up call” and encourage a return to “real” conversation.
“Sometimes even when the cafe is full it can feel a bit flat,” he told the Herald Sun.
“It doesn’t create a good atmosphere if everyone is on their phones with their heads down and it’s quiet and awkward.”
Customers who hand in their devices in the first two weeks of February will get 20 per cent off their total bill.
“Worryingly you see some parents come in and set the kids up with iPads and phones before they even look at a menu,” he said. “It’s part of the ritual.
“Couples are the worst. They’re literally with one another and both on their phones so it makes you wonder what’s the point in going out somewhere together? A lot of people do it without thinking, it’s a habit they’ve developed.”
Sheridan Randall, 22nd January 2019
