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Chick-fil-A is encouraging families to put down their phones—and pick up ice cream. Select locations of the fast-food chain are offering a free Icedream® Cone to diners who go phone-free for the duration of their meal.

The initiative, dubbed the "Cell Phone Coop Challenge," is designed to promote conversation, connection, and quality time at the table.

At the Towson Place location in Maryland, a sign invites customers to participate: "Ask a Team Member for a coop, place all phones in the coop, and enjoy your meal together. When your table finishes, let a Team Member know and everyone will receive an Icedream® Cone as a reward."

The coop, a chicken-wire box, stores diners' phones safely while they eat, keeping distractions at bay.

Brad Williams, owner of two Chick-fil-A restaurants in Georgia, came up with the idea after noticing a mother spending an entire meal on her phone.

"It just got me thinking how to get people to disconnect in order to connect and to take a technology timeout," Williams told ABC News.

According to the NYPost, since mid-January, more than 10,000 coops have been made, and nearly 200 independent Chick-fil-A operators have adopted the program.

Chick-fil-A's Phone-Free Meal Challenge

Williams said the effects have been clear. "There's more conversation and chatter. It's hard to sit with your family and not do the challenge now," he said.

The effort mirrors a trend in restaurants encouraging diners to be more present, such as NYC's Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, which introduced wooden boxes for phones to enhance the dining experience.

Research supports the initiative. A 2023 study found that 68% of households have someone using a phone during a meal, and 42% of respondents believe it's rude, FoxBusiness reported.

Another study showed that people eating while distracted by smartphones consumed an average of 535 extra calories compared to those focusing on their meal.

Millennials and Gen Z are most likely to scroll during meals, with 81% of Gen Z admitting to phone use at the table.

Chick-fil-A's challenge is not nationwide but is growing in popularity. It offers a fun, family-friendly reward for putting technology aside, aiming to make meals more meaningful and interactive.

"We're trying to slowly create rituals that create disciplines and will slowly create habits," Williams said.