Kota Kai, the owner of a ramen shop in Tokyo called Debu-chan, even counts the time customers spend eating. He discovered that the customers who take the longest to eat are the ones who often take out their phones to look at. So in March, Kota decided to ban customers from using smartphones while eating at the shop. This rule at Debu-chan has caused a wave of controversy on social media in Japan.
“One day my noodle shop was very crowded, but I suddenly discovered that a customer had left a bowl of cold noodles in front of him for four minutes because he was engrossed in his phone,” Mr. Kota shared.
At some shops, customers’ meal times are not a concern. But Debu-chan sells Hakata ramen, a ramen from the Hakata region of western Japan that is known as “a dish made for impatient people.”
The shop owner said that Hakata ramen noodles are very thin, only about 1mm, so they start to expand and lose their flavor very quickly. Therefore, leaving a bowl of noodles uneaten for four minutes will really affect the quality.
Debu-chan is relatively large compared to other ramen shops in Tokyo, with 33 seats. However, Mr. Kota said that every day there are still about 10 people waiting in line for a seat during peak hours.
“When the shop is full but there are still customers who are not eating but just staring at their phones, I have to remind them,” said shop owner Debu-chan.
He added that the shop does not have any signs asking people to put their phones away and instead, he will speak directly to customers privately.
For Kota, ramen is more than just a dish.
“I think eating ramen is like playing a game, and a game has rules,” Kota shared.
Debu-chan isn't the first place in the world to have rules about using phones while eating.
A McDonald's outlet in Singapore launched a campaign called "Turn Off Your Phone. Have Fun" in 2017. The outlet installed lockers where customers could store their smart devices while eating, with the aim of getting adults to spend more time with their children.
Limiting smartphone use is not limited to the food and restaurant industry.
In 2021, Tokyo's Adachi Ward enacted a regulation banning the use of phones while walking or cycling to avoid possible unfortunate accidents.
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