Farmshop LA Runs Amok On Technology
Farmshop LA, in the tony Brentwood Country Mart, doesn’t want you to tweet … or email apparently. Or so says its menu:
I wonder what they’re afraid of? Social media types who take pictures boorishly without consideration for those around, perhaps as so vividly depicted in the recent “Eat It Don’t Tweet It” Video?
Or maybe they don’t want “loud talkers” on cell phones? Or celeb crazy gawkers (like me) taking photos of the famous (or near-famous) diners who must visit the restaurant since it’s in the Epicenter of Celebness (for those outside LA, that would be 26th & San Vincente)?
Personally, I felt a bit admonished by the menu declaration. I was there, like I imagine many others were, in the middle of a work day so it was important that I check my email as well as perhaps take a business call (granted, for a prolonged discussion, though, I would have gone outside). Plus, as with any restaurant meal, I like to take an occasional photo to share on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Foursquare … something I would think Farmshop would want to facilitate, not inhibit.
While I was surprised by the directness of Farmshop’s admonishment, I have nothing against restaurants who take a stand with their customers – assuming it’s constructive. The Fathers Office menu, for example, famously states no substitutions so that they can best maintain the culinary vision of its legendary chef/founder Sang Yoon.
I suspect Farmshop is aiming to improve diner etiquette, albeit via a focus on their customers’ use of technology. While I’m fully in favor of educating the public about proper etiquette, I’d suggest a different approach in a restaurant environment. Rather than focus on technology, the focus should be on dining etiquette – and the diner. Instead of a brief blurb on the menu, maybe they should give customers a more comprehensive primer on appropriate dining behavior … perhaps a Farmshop Dining Manual to read before they receive a menu? After their review of the Manual, the diner could then make a fully informed decision about whether or not he would like to stay after all.
As just a few examples, the manual could state: the following have been proved harmful to other diners’ appetites – please refrain:
- Not being nice to the waitstaff;
- Loud talking – on a cell phone or otherwise;
- Blowing one’s nose into a napkin, then placing it on the table for the server to take care of;
- Coughing without covering one’s mouth;
- Spitting food out on the plate;
- Customers not washing their hands after bathroom visits;
- Children running around the restaurant unsupervised;
- Children jumping up and down on restaurant furniture;
- Babies saddled up to the bar area; and/or
- Putting ice in one’s wine.
Oh, and you may be wondering how my lunch was. Well, let’s just say it wasn’t DeathbedFood. That, coupled with my not feelin’ the love, makes it doubtful I’ll be back anytime soon.