What assumptions do we make about restaurants? Here are a few:
- They serve food
- They charge money for the food they serve
- Menus guide people in their food choices
- Visual ambiance is important
- Food presentation is important
- Restaurants are a place to see and be seen
- Customers want to see their food
What if you deliberately challenged all except the first two?
Blind Cow Restaurant in Zurich blows most common assumptions completely off the map. People eat in total darkness (no candles, flashlights or even glow-in-the-dark watches) and are waited on largely by blind people. (The only concession to sight are bathroom lights but guests are guided there by the staff. And, of course, checks – in both Braille and type – are paid in the lighted lobby after the meal.)
The 60-seat Blind Cow is hugely popular and booked months in advance. Innovation is the process of creating new value, and the Blind Cow gives people a new experience and a chance to experience sightlessness in a safe environment. It’s not a concept that many restaurants will copy but it could stimulate thinking about how else could a restaurant offer a unique experience.
Listen to an NPR description at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php
Thanks, Jonathan Vehar for this great story.)
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