🍸 How to Handle Staff Phones (Without Drama)

This week, Brandon’s answering one of the most common — and frustrating — questions from owners and managers:

👉 What should your restaurant’s phone policy actually be?

This one hits a nerve.

We all hate seeing servers glued to their phones while the floor is chaos.

But phones aren’t the real issue.

Neglected tables are.

✅ Cleaner tables
✅ Better guest flow
✅ Fewer fights about screen time

Watch the full video here 👇

🎥 The No-Drama Server Phone Policy That Works

You can watch the full video training on YouTube, or keep scrolling for a breakdown of Brandon’s lessons below.

🍸 Brandon’s No-BS Service Lesson:
How To Set A Phone Policy Without Losing Your Mind

The problem isn’t the phone.

It’s when the phone becomes more important than the guest.

If their section is spotless, their guests are smiling, and nobody needs anything?

You wouldn’t even care if they checked their phone for 30 seconds.

Brandon’s take: Let them use their phones — but only under two conditions.

🍸 Start With This:

✅ Condition 1: Their section is spotless.

Not “fine.” Not “I’ll get to it.” Spotless.

Pre-bussed. Manicured. Drinks topped off. Food either dropped or not coming soon.

✅ Condition 2: They told someone.

Before checking their phone, they have to say:

“Everyone’s good. Can you keep an eye on my section? I just need 60 seconds.”

That’s it. That’s the policy.

No permission. No drama. Just accountability.

🍸 3 Quick Wins You Can Try Tonight:

1️⃣ Write-ups = normalized.

Make write-ups more common — not career-ending.

They’re not threats. They’re documentation + accountability.

“You were on your phone. Your tables weren’t clean. Here’s the write-up.”

2️⃣ Use phone time as a performance indicator.

If you see a server texting but their section is perfect, you’ve got a pro.

If their tables are wrecked? That’s your coaching moment — or your warning.

3️⃣ Talk to your team like they have a life.

Brandon says it best: “Your team has responsibilities outside of work.”

This isn’t about being soft. It’s about being real — and getting buy-in.

Phone policies don’t work when they’re driven by frustration.

They work when they’re driven by expectations.

✅ Respect the guest.
✅ Respect the team.
✅ Keep the floor tight.

The phones will take care of themselves.

🚀 Tactical Reminders:

Our Last Three Lessons:

• This 7-Step Service Flow Boosts Sales Fast: Read More.

• How Top Restaurants Build 5-Star Servers: Read More.

• Advanced Verbiage System: Read More.

You can read the rest of the past lessons here.

Mike Romaine

Chief Email Ninja at The Restaurant Launch (TRL)