A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Towson Place, Maryland, is tempting customers with a free ice cream cone if they complete their meal without glancing at their mobile phones. The branch has introduced the Cell Phone Coop Challenge, which requires diners to place their devices in a white box, dubbed the 'cell phone coop', for the duration of their visit.
To take part, customers must dine in and ask a team member for a coop, according to a recent Facebook post from the restaurant. They are then advised to inform staff when they have finished eating, after which everyone at the table will receive a vanilla soft-serve Chick-fil-A Icedream cone. A sign accompanying the post reads: 'Grab a coop and take the challenge.'
Representatives for Chick-fil-A have clarified that the initiative is not a nationwide one, noting that restaurants are independently owned and operated and may offer local events. The concept itself dates back to 2016, when Brad Williams, owner of two Chick-fil-A outlets in Georgia, placed coops at every table and rewarded customers with ice cream for keeping phones inside for the whole meal.
Mr Williams told ABC News at the time that the aim was to encourage people to 'take a technology timeout'. He added: 'We're trying to slowly create rituals that create disciplines and will slowly create habits. It's almost like we're starting to create a no-cellphone zone.' He also observed a tangible benefit: 'There's more conversation and chatter. It's hard to sit with your family and not do the challenge now.'
The idea is supported by academic research. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that diners in Vancouver who kept their phones on the table during a meal rated their enjoyment 0.36 points lower than those who put them out of sight. They also reported higher levels of boredom (0.28 points) and distraction (0.46 points).
