Phone free evenings proposed by Exmouth pub landlord

An Exmouth bar is considering 'phone free' discounts for customers who hand over their phones on certain evenings.

The landlord of Exmouth's Spoken, George Nightingale, has proposed the idea to encourage people to socialise, share stories and better connect.

Consenting customers would hand in their phones at the bar, then the phones would be deposited in a cage which would then be hoisted to the ceiling to keep the phones out of reach.

George is not proposing a ban on phones but would like to try out 'phone free' evenings once a month as an experiment.

"What would people's thoughts be about 'phone free' discounts for your experience here at Spoken?" George asks.

"It's brave, it's bold and it's something different. It boils down to encouraging basic human interaction.

"All too often I see groups of people sat together on their phones not talking to each other, why are they even going out? It wasn't that long ago that smart phones didn't exist, what happened!?

"We understand that they are part of modern life but they are taking over, and going out should surely include talking to one another, asking questions about each other's week, stories, etc.

"I understand that this would be a difficult concept to implement, and whilst a selfish belief about how it is destroying going out, I'd love to explore how you would react, or indeed be prepared to be rewarded to surrender your phones, in a secure way, for your time in the bar."

The rewards for handing over your phone have not yet been decided but expect discounts on food or drink.

Spoken is an independent business based here in Exmouth. The kitchen, bar, coffee shop and restaurant was voted the UK's best spirits bar in 2017. It creates its own gin and is a supporter of 'everything local'.

The bar boasts 365 gins on the shelf, 250+ whiskies, 200+ rums, 200+ vodkas, ever-changing beers on draught, cider and some rare spirits not found elsewhere in the UK.

Click the red button below to find out more about Spoken.