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February 2, 2007
Personality Type Theme Restaurants & The Question of Theme vs. Cuisine
I finally had a chance to go to the new vegan pirate restaurant on St. Helen's road.
How was it?
Well, it was sincere, and interesting, and the beer came in really big mugs. And there were games. And the "chicken" patty was fairly convincing.
I'm personally impressed with anyone who has an idea that sounds like a "great idea" (TM) and actually follows through with capital and effort. (Impressed, but also a little bit concerned.)
I do love theme restaurants. There just aren't enough of them in Portland. I was trying to think of how you can distinguish between a theme restaurant and super cuisine-specific places like the Rheinlander. It's subtle. They both might feature costumed wait staff with real or fake accents, and heavily narrated menus and extravagant decor. Tikki bars and Medieval Times? Clearly theme, not cuisine. Hooters? I vote theme. (I think maybe if a restaurant features lots of music on its website, it might a sign of theme, not cuisine.) But maybe I'm just ignorant about the gastronomic aspirations of coconut shrimp and mead.
Here's a definition of theme restaurants from wikipedia along with a link to this interesting article on the business end of theme restaurants.
Well, in any case, a restaurant that picks a theme with no clear relation to cuisine is clearly theme not cuisine oriented.
My idea for a theme restaurant is one with menus based on personality types.
You could choose from different personality typification systems: Myers-Briggs, astrology, Chinese astrology, etc.
Dave P. suggested it would be a good idea to have personality tests available at the restaurant or even within an online reservations system that you could do at home that would tell you your personality type, in case you didn't know, and then develop an order for you based on your response and the stars and the tide and stuff like that. That way, you wouldn't even have to make a decision, which would be great for personalities like mine.
So, since I'm a EN-- (sometimes an ENFP, sometimes an ENTP, and sometimes an ENFJ -- but always an EN), Goat and Leo, I'd get something like goat cheese fondue, since it's social and goatee and fiery.
You'd have a team of crackpots develop the actual menus.
It would be good entertainment and possibly even a learning experience. Taking the personality tests over cocktails would be great for people who were flirting, and discussing the results over dinner could be productive for families in trouble.
It would be kind of like the Blood Type Diet only it would be the personality type diet and it would be a theme restaurant.
p.s. The photo is from the Superfund site -- not really related to the post, but oh, well. I still haven't heard anything about my camera.
Posted by mary at February 2, 2007 3:37 PM
Comments
what about your camera?
the photo reminds me of one of a great song (I have happy childhood memories of it, but it's a great song regardless): the Beach Boys' "My Favorite Vegetable." I think theme restaurants should have theme music.
My high-school prom, which to the best of my knowledge never actually happened, was supposed to be at a medeival-themed restaurant.
I'm sad that I missed the trip to the vegan pirate restaurant. But maybe not *that* sad.
Posted by: melissa ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.marysgreatideas.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 2, 2007 8:47 PM
Yeah, it's really sad: my camera broke after I'd had it for almost exactly 13 months (it came with a 12 month warrantee). I sent it back in the hopes that they'll still fix it. So, I am now camera-less, unless you count the Holga, which I don't.
Posted by: maryherself at February 3, 2007 10:22 PM
Actually I like the idea of a blood type restaurant. As soon as you sit down, they grab your hand, swab it, and take a blood sample, which is analyzed so as to determine which of the menus you are to receive. It would be decorated with test tubes and pictures of Rhesus monkeys and the servers would wear white lab coats and latex gloves. And after your meal, you get to sit in the canteen for a few minutes for a free cookie and some orange juice.
Posted by: Rich Magahiz at February 4, 2007 11:43 AM
That is one delicious-looking carrot.
Posted by: Spine at February 7, 2007 5:50 PM
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