Topic: The First Chicago Restaurant to Accept Bitcoin - page 4. (Read 11876 times)

I found the following: http://www.changinggears.info/2011/08/22/amid-economic-uncertainty-one-chicago-restaurant-gains-ground-by-bartering-for-goods-and-services/

By Googling: https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=barter+restaurants+chicago

I suggest doing the same with your respective market (of course, change the name of the city). The list generated should keep you busy for a while.

~Bruno~

kjlimo, you mentioned that you'll be in Lincoln park come St. Patrick's Day. Perhaps take a look at this http://chicago.metromix.com/restaurants/article/new-on-the-scene/163270/content and seek out new establishments centered around that area.


Keeping it as informal as possible would be MY best approach. Once I walk into an establishment, I'm able to look around and take in the surroundings, pulling something out of what I see, then directing the conversation around that and, at the same time, injecting how Biticoin would be a perfect fit. I may even visit the restaurant first without talking to anybody to formulate a conversation in my mind. On the surface, this approach may seem a little weird, but trust that it works for me.

I'm aware of most of the disadvantages and advantages to approaching new establishments. But, I'm going to concentrate on something along the following lines.

We are new. Your restaurant is new. We just starting producing this Amish Cheese Cake from a recipe thought lost forever, but recently rediscovered. We feel it'll be the perfect desert for you restaurant complementing your already fine entrees. Try a bite. Ain't that shit delicious? We deliver fresh, daily.

I probably wouldn't take the time to try to sell to established restaurants, in this regard, for they may not be too keen on changes. Whereby a new establishment doesn't want to fail straight out of the gate. I'll be offering up Bitcoin to them without any risk on their part.

Basically, that's my thinking on approaching new businesses, but will certainly approach renown restaurants in the tourist sections of town. I'm able to work both ends against the middle.

~Bruno~

Hmm, this might nerd him out. Maybe I should do it. Once again, what is the best app to use for this.

+1 "just dropping by" might be a good way to get to know the owner of a small biz.

maybe a quick phone call "hi,  I'd like to talk to the owner about ______, when is it a good time to drop by? say 3:00 after the rush?"

bring the laptop and try and convince him to let you pay for your meal in bitcoin ... give him 100% more bits then its worth if he agrees to let you set him up with bitcoin





do a little bit of marketing (go write a review on www.thebitcoinreview.com   )

go back and fill a large order so you can live off there AMAZING FOOD for the weekend  

go back the next week and talk to the owners again. order a coffee to go!

give your friends and family bitcoin so they can go spend them there.... (just pay for... your sisters b-day party   mothers day! )

profit  

did anyone loss...

yup that's major profits alright.

Being so tactical about it is kind of weird... I would just drop by.

Bruno, want me to screen him to get a name & ask if he wants to set up an appointment?

Or we could just say you'll drop in.  I can get his schedule.  Just PM me your specific dates you'll be in Chicago.

There is a manager at a place called "The South Loop Club"  at Balbo and State (in Chicago) who may be interested. He would probably at least informally accept bitcoins. I haven't talked to him for awhile (and suck at names) so I can't remember his name right now.

I've already reached out to Cleveland food delivery services over the phone and e-mail the past couple days.

Do you have any recommended list of restaurants for me to start screening / cold calling?

I tried Portillo's, but don't want to start faxing or mailing a flyer to their headquarters only to be thrown away unless Bit-pay.com recommends this approach (no one has responded to my earlier post yet).

If people want to suggest more restaurants, I can be sure to make first contact.

We're looking for smaller chains who want to be on the leading edge of technology or wish to reduce their operational costs associated with payment methods.

I can probably start calling Sunday afternoon or next week, so start brainstorming a list now people.  Otherwise, I will be left to "googling" restaurants in Chicago and firing at will.

Update: I'm planning on doing the blitzkrieg on Chicagoland restaurants in about two weeks. At that time, I'm delivering a load of reclaimed lumber to special client and re-meeting up with Rashid, the Chicago Cabbie, to present to him his custom leather wallet. I'm planning on dedicating no less than two full days on this endeavor.

~Bruno~

Yea, they have a humungous branch. Themselves and their associates.

Also, very very good eating.
Example:
http://www.suchluck.com/april_09/portillos2.jpg
http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/PoJ6GiiMUzKcL5as2ZO9Hw/l.jpg

Or purchase a RELOADABLE gift card directly from Portillo's (B&M or online) with Bitcoin, but it won't become activate until the confirmations are in.

 

Interesting find while hunting this pic(s)--more than one restaurant.

~Bruno~

every here of a dine and dash ... its much easier to pull off 

Sniffing the network for a double spend doesnt seem that hard to code, so hopefully you guys get that implemented soon, because it is absolutely ridiculous for us to be saying "hey mr restaurant owner how would you like to accept this new paymemt method?  Just make sure that customers overpay for their meal an hour beforehand so you dont get scammed, and then give them change."

And for those who pay with their Orange Card, you can cover the full order.

This is exactly the right approach.  The risk of fraud accepting bitcoins instantly is so small compared to accepting a credit card instantly, that yes at some point we would just guarantee the order under a certain dollar amount.  We aren't ready to offer that yet, but we know what we software we need to build to make it happen.

someone could make a program to double spend.  You need huge hash power to make it past a block, but you can broadcast unconfirmed transactions all over the place.  Still, the odds of someone going to the trouble over a few bucks is amost nothing at this point.  Bitpay should offer to cover a loss of a small amount for accepting unconfirmed transactions, and when/if it happens, then make everyone start getting one confirm.  Way too many merchants are demanding tons of confirms and slowing everything down on stuff that no one will ever try to double spend on. Prepaying an hour in advance sounds stupid.  I want to pay like the hot girls in bitpays video:)

word!

4. you have spent much more money on computing power than the cost of your lunch

Bit-Pay confirms transactions for our merchants in 1-3 seconds.  In thousands of transactions we have never seen a double spend.  I'm not saying it won't happen, but the amount of computing power to pull it off is not something you are going to have with you while eating at a restaurant.  And if you tried, I am sure one of 3 things would happen:

1.  you are taken out the back door and promptly beaten
2.  you are asked to pay another way
3.  you are told never to come back again

By utilizing the pre-conf APP. It would work something like this:

My mate and I are going to Portillo's in about an hour. I fire up the APP and place a Bitcoin deposit, an amount I know is more than what I'm going to spend. When I get to the restaurant, I show my receipt via the APP. The confirmations have already been done prior to us getting to the Portillo's therefore, upon paying the tab, change is forward to our Bitcoin address. Even if we carry-out, no need for us to wait for a confirmation, for we know that Portillo's is good for it. The onus was on the customer at the onset of the transaction, thereby protecting the eating establishment.

Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to convince me why this won't work.

~Bruno~

EDIT: Let me add this. Portillo's can even act as a banker for their regular customers. As the day progresses, they'll have bitcoins on deposit, and they can easily sell them to a customer at the exact current market price without them having to deposit the coins into their bank account. Of course, now they'll have to carry even more of that nasty, smelly cash to their bank, but that's the price they'll have to pay for bringing on that success.