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Seattle Restaurant Kicks Out Diner Over Google Glass

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Photos: A. Garland / Facebook
Hillary Dixler Canavan is Eater's restaurant editor and the author of the publication's debut book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes From the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters (Abrams, September 2023). Her work focuses on dining trends and the people changing the industry — and scouting the next hot restaurant you need to try on Eater's annual Best New Restaurant list.

Take heed, glassholes: A restaurant in Seattle kicked out a patron for wearing Google Glass last week. Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge, which opened earlier this year, cited the incident on Facebook. It offered an official policy on the nerd-approved technology. The policy "kindly ask[s] our customers to refrain from wearing and operating Google Glasses inside Lost Lake. We also ask that you not videotape anyone using any other sort of technology."

Apparently they had trouble booting the last Google Glass-wearing customer, since the policy also stipulates: " If you do wear your Google Glasses inside ... you will be asked to stop, or leave. And if we ask you to leave, for God's sake, don't start yelling about your 'rights'." The customer in question also took to Facebook prior to that statement, writing: "I would love an explanation, apology, clarification, and if the staff member was in the wrong and lost the owner money last night and also future income as well, that this income be deducted from her pay or her termination."


Seattle restaurant owner David Meinert seems to be leading the charge in anti-Google Glass policies. Back in March, his 5 Point Cafe caused a stir by preemptively banning the creepy wearable computer device. Meinert tells Forbes that the main issue at hand in the Lost Lake incident is really a matter of rude customer behavior: "I think the crazy part is that this guy comes into a diner and is asked to change his behavior in a way that's our right to ask of him. He doesn't like it, so he tries to get the server fired."


Of course, Meinert isn't the only restaurant operator who doesn't want patrons wearing electronic gizmos on their heads and possibly filming other customers. San Francisco restaurant Acquerello tweeted (and then deleted) a message to a customer wearing Google Glass: "Memo to the patron wearing Google glasses... if you think you are cool, you are not. You definitely look like a douch [sic]." And it's not just restaurants that are wary. As early as April, the devices have been banned at strip clubs and casinos, too.

· Our Official Policy on Google Glass [Facebook via Daring Fireball]
· Seattle Diner Booting Customers For Wearing Google Glass [Forbes]
· All Google Glass Coverage on Eater [-E-]

Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge

1505 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122