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Wetherspoons has introduced a new policy prohibiting customers from playing music aloud or using speakerphone during calls, citing increasing complaints about noise pollution that has been disturbing patrons. The pub chain, which operates 792 establishments across the UK, has requested that customers either mute their devices or use headphones to minimize disruption. This move reflects growing concerns about the impact of audible device usage in public settings.
Research conducted in recent years confirms that many people find it irritating when others play music or take calls on speaker in communal areas. Wetherspoons told the BBC that its staff would apply the ban with “common sense,” and while evicting customers who violate this rule is not the company’s primary aim, managers do have that authority if necessary. The British Beer and Pub Association, which represents Wetherspoons among other UK pubs, supports the policy, noting that clear guidelines help employees enforce appropriate behavior and inform customers about acceptable conduct.
Surveys back up the pub chain’s stance on noise from phones and tablets. For example, a Transport for London poll involving 1,000 participants last year revealed that 70% found loud music and speakerphone calls annoying. However, results vary by age group: an Ofcom study from August 2022 highlighted that a majority of teenagers aged 13 to 17 consider it acceptable to use video calls, listen to music, or watch videos without headphones in public spaces, indicating a significant generational divide in attitudes toward device noise.
Wetherspoons’ decision aligns with a stricter and longer-standing policy at rival pub chain Sam Smiths, which bans all phone or technology use as well as swearing. Unlike many pubs, Wetherspoons generally does not play background music, a point emphasized by its CEO Sir Tim Martin, who describes his venues as “an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation” amidst a noisy world. He humorously added that the policy seeks to prevent customers from being “driven chicken jalfrezi” by overwhelming noise. While Wetherspoons’ 44 Lloyds’ bars do play music in the evenings, the new ban on customers’ audible device use applies there as well. Over the past decade, the number of Wetherspoons pubs has declined from a peak of 955 in 2015, affected by financial challenges including the Covid pandemic and inflation. Recently, the company warned investors that profits would fall short of expectations due to rising costs in various areas such as food, labor, repairs, energy, and business rates
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