The owner of a New York City nightclub is banning guests from using cell phones in an effort to get them “living in the moment.”
Ben Robertshaw, the owner of The Palace, a trendy lounge in Soho, is kicking off a plan aimed at improving socializing by guests while also protecting privacy. He announced the new rules in a post on Instagram, encouraging guests to “enjoy the experience.”
“After three amazing years, we have decided to try something different,” the post read. “The Palace will restrict all cell phone use inside … enjoy the experience.”
View this post on Instagram
Comments to the post were turned off, the owner indicated to the New York Post.
“We want to make sure people really enjoy living in the moment,” Robertshaw told the paper. “People are worried or anxious [about] documenting the moment rather than experiencing it.”
“You’re either going to like this or you’re not,” the 37-year-old said.
According to the New York Post:
He has invested around $10,000 in hundreds of Yondr phone-free pouches, which are often used at comedy shows to ensure that jokesters’ sets aren’t recorded via smartphone before they appear on Netflix or Max.
To enter into The Palace, guests will have to place their phones inside a pouch. A bouncer will then lock the pouch and return it to guests to carry around. It will be unlocked when they exit.
Anyone who wants to make a call or text will have to unlock their phone and exit the facility, then lock up the pouch once again upon entry.
“It’ll be interesting to see how it goes,” Robertshaw said. “If people need a pen and paper [to get a phone number], we’ve got that at the bar.”
“When I was going out at a younger age – not worrying about anybody documenting what I’m doing was probably a good thing,” he said. “That stuff lives forever.”
“Everyone is on their phones … they’re not really present,” Bishop, The Palace’s resident DJ, told The Post.
“The no phones thing is an amazing opportunity to have people be in the moment again and dance,” he added. “The main thing as a DJ, I’m trying to read the energy of the room and control it in a way that elevates energy — people need to be paying attention in order to experience that. Phones kind of get in the way.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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