Rant: The game cafe in my town has a 'no phones' rule for certain tables
I went to The Rook's Nest last Friday and saw they have three tables marked with a small sign that says 'analog zone'. They don't let you have your phone out at all if you sit there. I used to think that was a dumb rule, but watching a group play a full game of Root without anyone looking at a screen changed my mind. The whole table was just talking and laughing the whole time. Has any other place near you tried something like this?
My local board game spot, The Dice Cup, tried this last year with two tables. They called them "quiet tables" but it was the same idea, no devices. The problem was they didn't enforce it at all, so people would just sit there texting anyway. A rule like that only works if the staff is willing to remind people, which I guess is tough. It fell apart after a month because it was just a sign with no follow through.