Chick-fil-A rewards customers who put down their smartphones

Chick-fil-A restaurants across the United States are challenging customers to put down their smartphones while dining, and enjoy family time together.

Its Cell Phone Coop Challenge, designed by Suwanee, Georgia, Chick-fil-A operator Brad Williams, is a box where everyone at the table puts his or her phones in during mealtime.

The rules of the challenge are printed on the box and read as follows:

1. Turn all family cell phones to silent and place in this cell phone coop.

2. Enjoy your Chick-fil-A meal and each other distraction free!

3. After the meal, let Chick-fil-A know that your family has successfully completed the challenge and each of you will receive a small Icedream cone.

“As we all know, technology increasingly demands more of our time and can be a big distraction, even while we’re eating. This got me thinking about what we could do to reduce this distraction during meals,” Williams said.

While Chick-fil-A restaurants are locally owned and the initiative won’t be available at them all, more than 150 across the country have already vowed to participate. Social media reactions have been primarily positive as well.

“We even have people asking to take the boxes home with them,” Williams said.

Chick-fil-A has been a topic of controversy lately, especially with its association with the charitable foundation WinShape’s large donations in an effort to impede LGBT rights initiatives. However, the cellphone coop challenge may just take that negativity off the company as it works to promote a healthier dining experience not glued to a smartphone.

Source: Mashable