Chef Eric Ripert Bans Trendy Fidget Spinners In Four-Star Kitchen In New York City

If you don't know what a fidget spinner is, it's a plastic or metal toy with a spinning bearing in the center and three prongs that spin. While the first gadget of its kind was reportedly made in 1993, the fidget spinner has recently resurfaced, initially plaguing classrooms — and now four-star kitchens.

Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, an elite French restaurant in New York City, recently had a run-in with the toy and ended up tweeting a picture of his confiscation.


Ironically, fidget spinners are marketed as tools to help alleviate stress, anxiety, and promote focus in those with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, but one teacher, Cristina Bolusi Zawacki, writes in a blog post that they can be incredibly distracting.

"Its claim to fame is that it allows one to channel their excess energy to help maintain focus," Bolusi Zawacki wrote. "The only thing my students seem to focus on, however, is the spinner, itself, and not their work. It's like a friggin' siren song."

The gadgets are sweeping the country, being sold in mall kiosks and 7-11s and even featured on the Saturday Night Live season finale.

 


Don't have a fidget spinner? Here are 10 Foods That Can Help Fight Anxiety and Depression.