Restaurants in at least 11 states are locking phones in pouches, banning posts, or handing out free ice cream for a clear table, and the keenest customers are Gen Z, 63 percent of whom say they intentionally unplug.
The instinct is sound. Loneliness is real, the young spend far less time with others in person than they used to, and a phone face-down is a genuine courtesy to the person across the table.
But be honest about the pouch:
- The house has a stake in your attention: engaged diners buy more courses and a second drink
- Enforcement is awkward, and even with a house landline a locked phone can't summon your cab or send the text you meant to send
- The courtesy only counts when you choose it, not when the door confiscates it
Keep the instinct. Ditch the lock.
