A Towson Chick-fil-A has free ice cream — if you put your phone away

This Wednesday, something was different in the Chick-fil-A at Towson Place, which Sami Stahlmann often visits with her grandmother Christina Hanson before ballet class.

Notices about a Cell Phone Coop Challenge were placed on each table, sparking the little girl’s interest.

The pair ordered their usual: a Cool Wrap, medium fries with Polynesian Sauce, a fruit cup and a juice box for Sami, and a grilled chicken sandwich, fries and a Diet Coke for Hanson. This time, though, they ate with their phones tucked away in a white carton.

“People don’t communicate enough,” Hanson said. “The point of going out is to be social.”

While eating, Sami shared the service project she participated in at school — creating prayer cards and care packages for those in need — and Hanson discussed her time caring for her 100-year-old mother.

“Sometimes, I’m on my phone,” Sami said, “but I wanted to take time to talk to her.”

Completing the challenge — which is open to individual customers and groups — guarantees an Icedream, a vanilla ice cream cone. The challenge originated at a Georgia Chick-fil-A in 2016, and the Towson Place storefront started offering the deal in early March.

Natalie Martz, owner of the Chick-fil-A at Towson Place, said her team gets calls and walk-in guests asking about the challenge every day. As the mom of a 10-year-old, Martz said her goal for instituting the challenge at her restaurant was to engage community members interested in limiting their scrolling.

“I’ve watched many families come in with young kids, and they do it,” Martz said. “I’ve seen adults come in with adult children and do it.”

Zil Patel, Sam Williams and their two toddlers took on the challenge. The North Baltimore-based parents stop by the Chick-fil-A at Towson Place every other week or so after picking their kids up from day care, Williams said. Patel said the family noticed the challenge last time they were at the restaurant — after they finished eating their meals.

The family of four returned Wednesday to complete the challenge. Although to them, it wasn’t very challenging.

“It’s such a habit to check your phone, but now that it’s in the box, I haven’t even thought about it,” Patel said.

The parents have considered implementing a “no phones at dinner” policy, especially to practice being more present with their 1- and 3-year-old children, but they’ve never had a system in place to do it consistently.

“We might need to have a ‘chicken coop’ at home,” Patel said.