NEW YORK - In an effort to combat cellphone addiction, award-winning chef Marco Canora is gently urging his customers to place their cell phones in vintage boxes placed in the center of their table.
"We'd like to invite you to unplug during your meal here at Hearth," says Canora via a note inside the box. "Feel free to use this box, put your phone away, and connect with your fellow diners."
"If you want to do it you can do it - if you don't want to do it, don't," Canora told Eater, a food news outlet.
Canora says many restaurants are beginning to implement active phone bans while dining. He instead chose to go for a more passive approach.
"It's just a box on the table that's there if you want it."
Canora says the boxes have been a success, with an estimated six out of 10 diners opting to place their smartphones in the box. "I think people are digging," he told Eater.
If this catches on, perhaps this could be a business opportunity for custom woodworkers.
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