Restaurant chain trials family ‘no phone zones’

A restaurant chain is trialling the offer of free meals for children on the condition that their parents hand over mobile phones for the duration of the visit.

Frankie & Benny’s has introduced no-phone zones in its 250 UK restaurants – where diners are encouraged to place their devices in a box on arrival at the table and free children’s meals are offered as an incentive.

The chain said its research suggested 72 per cent of British children wanted their parents to spend less time on their phone. Some 77 per cent of parents said they felt guilty about the amount of time they spend on the phone, and 67 per cent said their device had come between them and their family.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) checked their phones during family mealtimes, 23 per cent checked while their child was talking about their day, and 7 per cent admitted to checking while driving their children around, the poll indicates.

A spokesman for Frankie & Benny’s said: “We want family to come first when you step into a Frankie & Benny’s, and even more so around Christmas.

“We looked at various ways we could encourage people to engage more at the dinner table, and we’ve found giving families the chance to part with their devices for a mere couple of hours is a great way to bring them closer and embrace family time.”

Parenting expert Susan Atkins said: “Parents are role models in everything that they do and in everything that they say, so by managing their own screen time parents are teaching their kids by example about when and where technology use is appropriate.”