The restaurant giving free wine to customers who hand over their phones

A Sydney restaurant is taking a stand against the distraction of mobile phones by offering a tempting incentive to customers.

Contact Bar and Kitchen in Woolloomooloo is offering every customer a free glass of wine if they agree to hand over their phones for the duration of their stay.

Owner Markus Stauder said the ground-breaking move was to create a space where customers could fully switch off and socialise like “the good old days”.

“People come in, we give you a glass of wine as long as you give us your phone,” he explained to Today Tonight.

“They actually start to appreciate the fact they’re not linked or tied to anything”.

The restaurant uses small lockers behind the bar to safely store customers phone under lock and key.

And patrons so far appear to be embracing the new initiative.

“Nowadays we don’t spend much time enjoying the meal with everyone,” one restaurant-goer explained.

“I really love it, I think too many people spend way too much time on their phones and eating should be enjoyed,” another said.

The initiative is becoming a growing trend worldwide with one restaurant in Jerusalem, Israel, offering 50 per cent off the bill if complying with the no-phones rule.

Dozens of restaurants across the US are offering the more conservative discount of 10 per cent if customers ditch their mobiles.

Radio broadcaster Alan Jones has backed the idea, telling Sunrise’s Natalie Barr he would be willing to take part.

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“If the bloke wants to say we take your phones away, thats his business. If people don’t like it, don’t come in,” he said.

Yet journalist Justin Smith disagreed, saying its his choice whether he looks at his phone or not.

“We don’t need this person to be a social engineer. Get back in the kitchen, cook the steak medium-well and don’t over do it,” he told Sunrise.

“I don’t need you to be a social engineer and tell me when I can check my Twitter account.”