I ate a fabulous brunch the other day at a restaurant I’d never been.
Service was great, food was even better. Overall, it was a party in my tummy. With helium tanks and all.
That is, until, I was walking out the door only to be bombarded with merchandise.
Shirts.
Hoodies.
Key chains.
Bookbags.
Condoms. (Oops, I was thinking of the bathroom at the bowling alley. My bad.)
It must be noted that this was NOT a touristy place like Rainforest Cafe. It was a regular old diner.
I can kinda get why those tourist traps are all about grabbing fanny-pack wearin’ people’s money. They deserve it.
But a diner? For non-camera toting locals? Really?
I’ve started noticing this at more restaurants. It makes no sense to me. Just because I love your eggs benedict does NOT mean I want to be a human billboard.
And the T-shirts weren’t even cute! And at $25 a pop, I’d rather go in 2 more times and stuff my face to the point of gluttony instead of trying to squeeze in a too-short too-tight baby tee.
Can you imagine if it was the other way around? Like if Victoria’s Secret offered Clam Chowder?
On second thought, it might help guys deal better with the shopping nightmare: “Here ya go, dude. Enjoy this delicious burger while you stare at falsely-proportioned mannequins wearing thongs and push-up bras that make your girlfriend look like Kirstie Alley.”
Bottom line, eating out and buying clothes under the same roof DON’T MIX.
And if these places want to advertise, they should do it the old fashioned way: By getting a homeless person to walk around in a sandwich board passing out flyers announcing their specials.
Now THAT is the kind of marketing that makes me wanna eat.
Comments (5)
I get uncomfortable around the mannequins that have nipples. When did they start giving mannequins erect nipples?! It makes me feel…conflicted.
Don’t pass on the 7 pound pizza, Dana. Be one with the pizza. It calls you. Nay, it beckons you with an unbridled passion that you have never felt before. If you listen closely you can even hear it:
Dana…
…Dana…
…Daaaaanaaa…
…buy Puzzy a shirt. Oh, and try the breadsticks.
Clare, you shush.
Don’t encourage him.
Trust me, he should not be allowed in places like that.
Ahhh, the eggs benedict. To die for!!!’
Dear Puzzlehead,
Thank you for your comments. Dually noted.
I must clarify the Kirstie Alley analogy. What I meant was, all the mannequins/models for Victoria’s Secret are about a size negative 0.
And as a woman, I can’t help but get frustrated when I pass a mostly-naked model staring at me in the dressing room, only to look in the mirror and see that the panty/bra combo I have on does NOT make me feel sexy. It makes me feel like I should have passed on the 7 pound pizza.
But to each his own. Rock out those T-Shirts. And now when I see the guy walking down the street that’s sporting the “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing” shirt, I will know it’s you, and I’ll say hi.
Two things to note:
- I don’t think I would ever eat anything that looked like clam chowder or smelled of sea food from a women’s undergarment store.
- Have you seen Kirstie Alley recently?? She was on Oprah – http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090417-tows-kirstie-alley-weight
If my wife wore a thong or bra to make her look like that, well, I’d still love her but I’d question why she would want to look worse.
But, back to your original topic: I like buying clothes at places where I eat :) It just goes to show how much I enjoy eating there. Who knows, the shirts might become popular like the recent trend of retro t-shirts. Why wouldn’t you want to be one of the first people to own a ‘I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing’ shirt from your local pizza shop that offers a 7 pound pizza?