A sign that hangs on a lot of restaurants, bars and convenience stores says that no service is given if you’re not wearing a shirt or shoes. But now, D.C.’s newest bar has a restriction that might make a lot of us feel naked: no cellphones.
Rock Harper’s Hush Harbor on H Street in Northeast D.C. claims to be the first phone-free bar in the nation’s capital.
WTOP spoke to Harper, who transformed the former Hill Prince to Hush Harbor.
Harper, who won the 3rd season of Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” transformed the former Hill Prince to Hush Harbor DC.
When guests come in, Harper says they will be given a Yondr bag for their phones, and they will keep the bag with them whether they have dinner or order drinks.
“So the phones are kept on their person. That’s the thing. We’re not taking any phones,” Harper said.
During the interview, Harper kept true to his word, and spoke to WTOP outside of Hush Harbor, on 1337 H Street NE, instead of being filmed on a phone inside the bar.
Harper admitted his mother was the inspiration behind the no-phone policy.
“She was talking about the importance for my ancestors and having hush harbors,” Harper said. “A hush harbor originally was a meeting, a gathering of formerly enslaved Africans.
Harper explained they would convene in the wilderness to practice their spirituality out of the gaze of a slave master for fear of harm, and he believes this is a modern version of that.
“So in a modern sense, I took that idea of having a convening offline, and combined it with hospitality,” said Harper. “I just personally think that cellphones are in the way of a lot of human connection.”
When questioned if single people will now have a tough time swiping left or right without their phones, Harper offered this advice:
“Listen, the new swipe left or slide right — it’s just cozying up to a person, to your bar neighbor,” Harper said while laughing. “We got to take it back to when you had to work for the phone number, where you had to actually engage.”
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