A customer carries take-away purchase after leaving a Greggs bakery in central London on March 5, 2024. British bakery Greggs, famed for its sausage rolls, said Tuesday it logged soaring profit last year, as consumers flocked to the budget chain during a cost-of-living crisis. Net profit leapt almost a fifth to ??142.5 million ($180.6 million) from 2022, Greggs said in a results statement, adding that revenue soared by a similar proportion to ??1.8 billion. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Fancy a sausage roll? Better take out your headphones (Picture: AFP)

A Greggs outlet in south London has said they will refuse to serve customers who are wearing headphones.

Staff at the bakery in Croydon, South London, put up a notice to customers who are listening to music or on calls when they order.

The notice read: ‘When in queue, remove your headphone/AirPods and come off phones or we may have to refuse service.’

A staff member at the branch told The Sun: ‘The sign is pretty blunt but we have no option. We get more and more customers coming in who seem to be lost in another world.

‘We try to be helpful and get everyone served quickly during busy times but it’s impossible if customers can’t hear a word you’re saying.’

The frontage of a branch of British bakery chain Greggs. It specialises in savoury products such as pies, sausage rolls and sandwiches.
Customers could be turned away if they have headphones in (Picture: Getty)

The approach isn’t company-wide, and Greggs hasn’t officially commented – but it’s sure to be a rude awakening to customers in their own world.

Not all customers were best pleased with the news. X user Chandy.org wrote: ‘As someone who relies upon my noise-cancelling headphones to go out and be around people.

‘This decision by one of your stores screams inaccessibility!’

Others were pleased with the new rule, commenting ‘full marks to Greggs’.

One X user wrote: ‘Fascinating move by Greggs! In a world where we’re constantly connected, it’s refreshing to see a business encouraging presence and community.’

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