'Life needs to be more like this': Some bars and restaurants are going phone free

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+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Planet Money Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics 'Life needs to be more like this': Some bars and restaurants are going phone free It's not just schools that are banning cellphones.

+ National 'Life needs to be more like this': Some bars and restaurants are going phone free March 31, 20264:42 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition From By Nick de la Canal 'Life needs to be more like this': Some bars and restaurants are going phone free Listen &middot; 2:56 2:56 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5766124/nx-s1-9710064" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript It's not just schools that are banning cellphones. Some bars and restaurants are joining the offline trend. Sponsor Message MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Some bars have a dress code. You can't smoke in others. But some are making cellphones off-limits. Nick de la Canal from member station WFAE takes us to one new spot in Charlotte, North Carolina.

+ NICK DE LA CANAL, BYLINE: From the outside, this new bar called Antagonist looks like any other cocktail spot. A host greets guests out front. PHI HOANG: What's going on, guys? How are y'all? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Pretty good. How are you doing? DE LA CANAL: But to get inside, you have to hand your phone to the host, who puts it in a pouch. HOANG: So we'll lock your phones up in the back. If you guys need your phones at any point in time, you come out and see us. You can take your calls out here. DE LA CANAL: The host, Phi Hoang, is also the bar's co-owner and says he's surprised with how little people push back. HOANG: To be honest with you, most people are excited to give us their phones. DE LA CANAL: Inside, leather banquettes line the room beneath big, fringed chandeliers. It's very Instagrammable, if only you could snap a pick. People sit at tables talking or playing board games provided by the bar. Some are chatting up the bartenders. MIKE SALZARULO: I wanted to create a space where people could come, interact, be vulnerable, be nervous, but be human. You know what I mean? DE LA CANAL: That's co-owner Mike Salzarulo. This bar is just the latest establishment to introduce a phone-free concept. In recent years, no-phone bars and restaurants have also opened in a handful of other cities, including New York and Washington, D.C. ANNA LEMBKE: I mean, I think this is so interesting. And this is exactly what people are yearning for. DE LA CANAL: Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist at Stanford University and author of "Dopamine Nation." She says phones have become an easy escape, especially in social settings. LEMBKE: What teenagers talk a lot about is how whenever there's an awkward social moment, people just pull out their phones and pretend to be absorbed by something. And, you know, adults are, unfortunately, probably no different at this point. DE LA CANAL: She says ignoring that impulse is hard. But it's easier when everyone in the room is doing the same. RANDY YINGER: The no phones thing was actually a draw to come here. DE LA CANAL: Randy Yinger (ph) is here with his girlfriend, Amanda Bozian (ph). AMANDA BOZIAN: I'm enjoying the moment. I'm having conversations. I'm making eye contact. Like, I'm not worrying about a text or checking Instagram. DE LA CANAL: At a nearby table is Lauren Bernard (ph). She's a social media manager by day, but tonight, she's notification-free. LAUREN BERNARD: Honestly, it's fantastic. Life needs to be more like this. DE LA CANAL: She's also trying to find a date for her friend, Rachel McGraw (ph), who says she's tired of guys flirting through social media. RACHEL MCGRAW: Like, no, I actually don't want your Instagram. I don't want your Snapchat. (Laughter) Like, write your number on my arm. Let's make it old-school. DE LA CANAL: Even if she doesn't find a date tonight, she will leave with an old-school souvenir. Before guests go, staff take their photo with a polaroid camera, a small, tangible memory from a night spent offline. For NPR News, I'm Nick de la Canal in Charlotte. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PHONE DOWN") ERYKAH BADU: (Singing) I can make you put your phone down. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor MessageBecome an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{1167:function(e,n,c){e.exports=c(323)},323:function(e,n,c){"use strict";c.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([c.e(1),c.e(2),c.e(3),c.e(4),c.e(84)]).then(function(e){c(3),c(1140),c(116),c(94),c(52),c(493),c(239),c(102),c(104),c(1141),c(143),c(1142),c(238),c(48),c(1143)}.bind(null,c)).catch(c.oe)}},[[1167,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();