Italian Restaurant Rewards Diners with Free Wine for Surrendering Their Phones

Smartphones are an integral part of our daily routines, even if we go to restaurants, we often find ourselves on phones or get distracted by the notification sound. Imagine if we tell you that you can get a wine bottle free of cost if you keep your phone away. In the North city of Verona, a newly opened restaurant named Al Condominio offers a free bottle of wine to customers who hand in their phones before meals.

While talking to The Gardiun owner Angelo Lella revealed the real reason behind this unique concept. He said We wanted to open a restaurant that was different from the others, so we picked this format — customers can choose to renounce technology while enjoying a convivial moment together.

He added: “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 an opportunity to put it aside and drink some good wine.”

Upon arrival, diners can place their phones in a box, under lock and key, at the entrance. To claim their free bottle of wine, all they have to do is show the key to the waiter. That’s not the only perk customers can get for locking up their mobile devices. They can also choose to review their meal, leaving the missive in the same box their phone was in.

The person who writes the most glowing review, singing the highest praises, will be offered a free meal during their next visit. Al Condominio, which opened in the northern city of Verona in March, offers a free bottle of wine to customers who hand in their phones before meals. Italian restaurant is offering a free bottle of wine to customers who relinquish their mobile phones during meals. To claim their free bottle of wine, all customers have to do is show the key to their phone’s lockbox to the waiter.

The response has been very positive. Ninety percent of customers have opted to leave aside their phones in exchange for wine. It is a beautiful thing to see people embracing it,” he continued. They are talking to each other rather than looking at photos or responding to messages on their phone. The Guardian reports that another restaurant in Italy, Separè 1968, offers vouchers to diners who relinquish their phones.