Ramen shop bans customers from using smartphones while dining
WeirdNews
The restaurant owner first pitched the idea of a smartphone ban on Twitter.
JAPAN (Web Desk) - The owner of a ramen noodle eatery in Japan said he is banning customers from using their phones in order to speed up seating times -- and preserve the integrity of the dish.
Kota Kai, owner and operator of Tokyo eatery Debu-chan, said he noticed the customers who waited the longest to dig into the bowls of ramen noodles placed in front of them tended to be watching YouTube videos on their phones.
Kai said he was concerned not only about customers tying up valuable seating space during peak hours, but about the way thin Hakata ramen noodles stretch out and are ruined after too many minutes in the soup.
The restaurant owner first pitched the idea of a smartphone ban on Twitter, and positive responses led to his enacting the policy.
Kai said he is not posting any signs about the phone ban, but he has started speaking to customers individually about keeping their phones put away during mealtime.
"I feel it's entertainment that is bound to include rules," Kai told. "It's like, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Ramen is a form of entertainment."
