Liquid Motivation: Italian Restaurant Offers Free Wine To Customers Who Give Up Their Phones

Do you find it difficult to stay away from your phone? Do you feel a need to stay constantly updated and connected to the digital world? A restaurant in Italy has a unique initiative that aims to encourage diners to get over this impulsive need. Al Condominio in Verona has turned to a simple yet effective method to motivate their guests: offering them free wine. But what exactly do they have to do in return? Simply hand over their phones to be locked away before the meal.

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As per The Guardian, the phones need to be locked in boxes at the entrance of the restaurant (each customer would get a box assigned to them). They have to show the key to the waiter to avail of their free bottle of wine. "Customers can choose to renounce 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," the owner Angelo Lella, told The Guardian.

Offering customers free items or some form of discount in exchange for digital disconnection is not a new idea. In the past, several restaurants around the world have implemented similar programs. According to The Straits Times, Contact Bar and Kitchen in Sydney would offer a free glass of wine for diners who locked away their phones. In 2022, Newsweek reported that Spice Fusion in the United Kingdom offered diners a 20 per cent discount for giving up their devices. In India, a Mumbai restaurant called Sukoon made headlines last year when it announced a 15 per cent discount on similar lines.

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