A Coffee Shop that BANS Electronics?
Sign Banning Electronics in Saratoga Coffee Shop
Coffee shops are filled with tech- students doing homework and on their laptops, people checking their blackberries… I’ve never heard of a coffee shop where all of this is banned.
This “Tech Free Oasis,” Virgil’s house in Saratoga Springs, NY (15 minutes away from where I live now) has instated a policy that reads:
“This is a place to laugh, relax, read, play a game, chat with friends, bring the kids, or work on a puzzle! A few things to remember about Virgil’s … It is a place away from the frantic pace of technology .. SSSSSSoooo ……. Please do not use your cellphone, PDA, laptop Blackberry or pager … this includes talking, listening, texting, reading, emails and now apparently watching!!! If you really, really need to use your phone, please step outside or sneak in the bathroom. Our office is always available as well!”
BUT, what’s most interesting about Virgil’s house is not that electronic devices are banned… but that the owner, Kathleen Quartararo, used to SELL them. The owner was sales representative and manager for Wireless from AT&T until she resigned in July 2008.
In a recent interview with the Times Union, Quartararo said, “I love technology. I just don’t believe it should be when you’re eating and drinking and laughing. It’s got a great place in our lives, but, it stops things.”