Switch off for coffee

CUSTOMERS at a Melbourne cafe who agree to have their mobile phones confiscated will be rewarded with discounted food and drinks.

Craig Tate, co-founder of Saint James in Malvern, is so disturbed about patrons glued to devices dampening the vibe at his venue that he wants to give them a “wake-up call”.

The number of people trawling social media or watching movies and videos with their headphones in rather than talking to their partners, children or friends was “a bit of an insult”.

“Sometimes even when the cafe is full it can feel a bit flat. It doesn’t create a good atmosphere if everyone is on their phones with their heads down and it’s quiet and awkward,” Mr Tate said.

Diners who give up their devices during visits in the first two weeks of February will get 20 per cent off their total bill.

Staff will lock devices in boxes that will be placed on all tables at the cafe.

Mr Tate hopes temporarily depriving people of technology will encourage a return to “real” conversation, and prompt them to permanently change behaviour for the better.

“Worryingly you see some parents come in and set the kids up with iPads and phones before they even look at a menu. 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.”

Mr Tate said he felt passionate about the issue of too much device distraction.

“When I was growing up, meal time was about sitting around with loved ones and talking about your day and the food.”

A Deakin University study last year revealed compulsive use of phones was depriving us of sleep, disrupting relationships, and eroding productivity. Separate Monash University research found four in five parents observed at shopping centre food courts were glued to their phones and ignored their child for more than 10 minutes.