The owner of the former Maxwell Silverman restaurant in Worcester, Mass is selling the iconic 1960s era , British, double deck bus that advertised his business for about 30 years. For about 10 years the bus delivered customers to the restaurant from parking lots in other parts of the city, but has just been parked out front for the last 20 years or so. It is listed as “repairable”. Gus, the owner, a well known Worcester venue owner was a good friend of my late uncle. Over the years I have been a customer of the long closed Steeple Bumpstead night club, Maxwell’s, Club Maxine’s, and most recently Union Station. Themes can work, and Gus, a skilled designer/builder, knows how to work them.

I have been to other theme restaurants. The chain Bugabo Creek, IMO, does not work, but the restaurants at Disney do. On vacation, I have eaten on a former ferry, in sections of grounded airplanes, and re-constructed barns. A place with the theme of a WW I , British fighter plane hanger, was fun, but the food was over priced and not so good.

I wonder about the economics of “theme”, and how many extra customers it can bring, food being equal. There is a chain “5 and Diner” (or something like that), that I have never been to. The Worcester location has been closed, longer than it was open, proof that a good theme concept doesn’t always work.