Jan 25 - New York Restaurants Have Informal Ban on Food Photos

By CHRISTINA LOPEZ (@JournalistLopez)
Jan. 25, 2013


Attention, foodies: Restaurant owners are asking you to stop snapping photos of your gourmet brie cheeseburger with truffle oil-drenched fries.

The days of simply dining and enjoying have changed. More and more restaurant-goers are pulling out their smartphones or digital cameras and taking photos of elaborate entrees and dishes at New York City restaurants.

This growing trend is commonly known as foodstagram, a photo taken on a cellphone and quickly posted online.

"With the advent of social media, it just became that people like food [..]," said Steven Hall, PR representative for Bouley restaurant. "People really love looking at pictures of food."

Some restaurants are cracking down on snap-happy guests. The New York Times reports that owners of upscale restaurants like Fat Duck, Le Bernardin and Per Se "discourage flash photography" by their guests.

Gerald San Jose, media manager for Per Se, said the restaurant "does not have a no-photography policy, although if guests do photograph, Per Se asks that they refrain from using flash and be discreet so as to not disturb the experience of other guests."

Le Bernardin agrees, saying, "Flash photography disturbs other diners."

David Bouley, the head chef at Bouley, does not discourage photography, but instead invites guests into his kitchen for pictures. Hall said Bouley doesn't "really enforce it. If there are people that are taking pictures then they take pictures in the kitchen." "He [Bouley] makes customers a part of the dining experience," said Hall. "He's always welcomed people into his kitchen. They love it. He loves it."

So far, the informal ban has not made its way to the New York State Restaurant[..]ociation, which includes 5,000 restaurants in the New York metro area. Andrew Moesel, spokesman for the NYSRA, says the issue is not something that's on the organization's radar.

"At our level, it's not something we're looking to regulate or weigh in on in any way," said Moesel. "Some restaurants would encourage people to share the dishes that they serve there, while others might want to make sure the dining experience is more private."

Private yes, but off limits? Not entirely. Although more and more guests are taking photos of their plated inspirations, Hall said he believes it depends on the setting, but "there is such a thing as the right time and the right place."

"People have kind of forgotten their manners," said Hall. "Your food is getting cold, your ice cream is melting, all so that they can get the lighting for their picture. It disrupts the flow of service."

One est@blishment that does ban photos altogether -- not in the name of food but for the sake of privacy -- is SoHo House New York in the city's Meatpacking District, an exclusive members-only club.

In an email to ABCNews.com, Jacki Spillane of SoHo House said, "SoHo House New York does have a no photography policy within the Club. SoHo House is a private members club, we have this policy to respect and maintain our members' privacy."

And at Tocqueville restaurant on Union Square, you can't use your phone at all because the building is made entirely of metal. Tocqueville proprietor Joann Makovitzky says because the restaurant is located in a "dead zone" cell reception is blocked.

"My philosophy is it's not your own dining room, you're there with many other diners," said Makovitzky. "People are there for their own dining experience and anything you do to infringe on that experience, we frown on."

Hall said, "They don't want ringing. They made their restaurant sort of a respite. You can still use your camera phone to take pictures. But once your phone isn't ringing you're not compelled to take it out of your pocket."

"Everybody wants everybody in the world to know where they are," Hall said, so fancy foodstagrams continue on photo newsfeeds.

"We don't want to stop it, but we want to control it," he said.

Restaurants Placing Informal Ban On Food Flash Photography - ABC News

social media and smart phones have ruined this planet. I cant go anywhere without some !! taking pics of their food and drinks, or telling one another "taKE a pic post is on IG" like really? who gives a !!, we all seen a blueberry muffin before, no one gives a !! about your pancakes, I hope the hot oil from the french fries land on your eye. Worst part about it, when they have to retake a photo 2-3-4 times cuz it didnt come out "perfect"

I don't really mind the food pics
But I don't see why restaurants hate this

What's next you cant smell the food with your nose

Dawg....its not that serious.
Hell this is free advertisment for resturants. I dont see the big fuss. But I dont use imstagram or twitter and only joined facebook a year ago after a friend from the army died and I found out months late.

I don't take pics of my food but this is bs. This is America, and if I want to take a pic of the food I eat and pay for, then that's what ill do. Restuarants starting to act like the strip club

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smh new york is slowly becoming retarted with all these straints theyre trying to put

They didnt say they didnt want you to take pics...they said no flash.