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Angelo Lella, owner of Al Condominio, a restaurant opened in March in the city of Verona, in northern Italy, revealed to the local press that «the aim was to encourage customers to talk to each other, instead of constantly looking at their phones».
«We wanted to open a restaurant that was different from the others», he said, «which is why we chose this format – customers can choose to forgo technology while enjoying a convivial moment together. Technology is becoming a problem – there is no need to look at your phone every five seconds, but for many people it is like a drug… this way they have the opportunity to put it aside and drink some good wine».
Customers have the option of storing their phone, which will be placed in a dedicated box, under lock and key, at the entrance. Once at the table, they show the key to the waiter, who serves them a bottle of wine.
Customers can also write a review about the meal, which they leave in the box: whoever leaves the most glowing review receives a free meal on their next visit.
«The response has been very positive», said Lella, revealing that «90% of customers chose to leave their phone at the entrance in exchange for wine. It’s really satisfying to see people talking to each other instead of being fixated on their phones.”
