1814 Business Opportunity; Buffets

Friday, May 16, 2008

I don't travel a lot, but I've flown enough lately to see a few business opportunities that no one has jumped on, and I don't know why.

First it was the cigarette lighters. Many were discarded on the way in. People coming out wanted them. I don't understand why there weren't kids collecting them at the gates, and then selling them for a few cents at the baggage carousels.

Then it was the lotions and gels. Why weren't the stores in the airports selling three to six days supplies of shampoo, conditioner, etc., so people who weren't particular could simply not pack any, and then buy a small bottle, just enough for their stay, at their destination?

Now it's checked baggage. Some airlines are charging for every bag you check. Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to pack clothes? What if you could buy inexpensive clothes at the destination, and throw them away or sell them back before you go home? Or rent clothes?

Back in the late sixties there was a short-lived paper clothing fad. I've actually worn paper clothing, and my mother, who was very fashion and quality conscious, owned a few paper dresses, tops, and pants. They were fun. They felt every bit as soft as fabric. You "hemmed" them by cutting off the excess. You could repair tears with plain tape. They could be washed a few times. And if you didn't know, it wasn't easy to tell.

Here's some links:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/13367
http://www.everything2000.com/news/news2000/paperclothes.asp
http://www.geocities.com/FashionAvenue/Catwalk/1038/paperclothes.html

I think an airport store selling paper clothes (the modern paper should be even better than what we had in the '60s) could clean up!

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Dinner last night was at a Chinese buffet with about 40 different selections. When I eat out these days I rarely eat everything I'm served. I doggy bag about half, and it provides two more meals at home. But at the buffet dinners, I'll load my plate three times, and I eat every bit of it.

We got into a discussion last night as to why.

I think it's because all of it is so good, I want to taste everything. So I take a tiny bit of each thing. Really tiny bits. Like of the General Tso's chicken, I search for the smallest pieces of meat, and take two. Two tiny bits of Cajun chicken. Two bits of beef and three stalks of broccoli. One small scoop of the noodles. One small dumpling. Two of those cream cheese and crab rangoons (two 'cause I love them best). And so on for 40 things. It adds up, but it doesn't kick off the "I'm full" because they all taste different.

As one of the ladies pointed out, when I get halfway though a steak or baked potato, or serving of whatever green, I'm bored with the taste, and then I am more likely to hear the "Ok, that's enough for now".

Sigh. Save me from buffets.
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