Catering businesses certainly aren’t stuck for options when they’re on
the lookout for A-boards. Firms such as Display Developments offer a range of professional looking boards that
are more than up to the task. Of course, exactly what cafes, restaurants and
pubs choose to put on these items of display equipment is a completely
different matter. Sometimes, companies go distinctly off-script when they are
marketing their meals. Here are some of the funniest examples.
Giving the critics a taste of their own medicine
Thanks to social media, anyone can express their thoughts to the world when they’ve dined or drunk in an establishment. Whether they are shocked by sandwiches, delighted by doughnuts, bowled over by burgers or repulsed by ratatouille, they can leave their comments online. Usually, catering firms bend over backwards to respond to any criticism, but sometimes they take an altogether different approach.
One cafe registered its displeasure with a negative review by posting on
an A-board: “Come in and try the worst meatball sandwich that one guy on Yelp
ever had in his life.” Perhaps the owner felt better after venting his
frustration. Whether or not he enticed many customers through his doors that
day is another matter.
The phrase ‘don’t give up your day job’ springs to mind with the
following unusual attempts at poetry. One restaurant publicised its culinary
creations with the message: “Bacon is red, steaks can be blue, poetry is hard,
eat here.” Let’s just hope their cooking was a little better than their
somewhat dubious attempts at word play!
Another restaurant owner who seemed to have been in an expressive mood when writing on his A-board took a classic Eurythmics song and came up with the following statement: “Sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am I to dis a brie?” Well, quite.
The guilt trip
Taking a different tack entirely, one firm decided to guilt trip its
customers into making an impromptu pit stop for food. The eatery, which was
located by the side of highway in America, exclaimed on an A-board: “Eat here
or we will both starve.”
Saying it like it is
Sometimes it seems restaurant and bar workers just have to say it like
it is. One individual took it upon himself to write: “Something witty and
thought provoking (that’s what my boss told me to write on the chalkboard).”
In a somewhat sombre tone, another stated: “Today’s special: No it’s
not.” Meanwhile, a message left on a pub A-board read: “I am a bar. I have many
flat surfaces for you to sit on. Once sat, you can drink see-thru tasty liquids
from conical vessels.” At least we all know where we stand with that one.
Fighting talk
Some display boards take a decidedly confrontational tone. For example,
one stated: “No matter how angry you are, no flicking over tables.” It even featured
a pictorial representation of this banned activity with a big red line through
it.
In a play on the common saying, another remarked: “An apple a day keeps
anyone away if you throw it hard enough.” Meanwhile, one eatery seemed intent
on striking fear into the heart of its younger patrons. It stated: “Well
behaved children welcome. The rest will be made into pies.”
Next time you’re walking through town, keep a look out for the A-boards
outside bars and restaurants. You might be surprised by what you see.
Haha I loved the poetry one. They have these boards all over town in London, they always give me a laugh. Great marketing too.
ReplyDelete