Go on, take that key or coaster. Branding execs hope you do

Chances are if you’ve been to a great restaurant, bar or hotel, you’ve snagged a coaster, matchbook, napkin or card key. Mementoes like these are talismans that help us remember what a fun experience we had.

You may hesitate before you pocket it, wondering if doing so is OK. Worry not: Hospitality industry folks say they’re delighted when people feel compelled to take one of these as a keepsake. You might consider a return visit, they think, if you’ve got that little reminder of your good time.

“It’s nice to hold a physical object and feel transported to an experience that could have happened weeks or even years ago,” says Sean Wilkinson, principal and creative director at Might & Main, a studio in Portland, Maine, that works on branding for clients in the hospitality industry.

He says the sense of impermanence is important. “If it’s something we’d like people to take, it should look nice, but not too nice, so that you don’t feel bad taking it.”