The week in ideas, February 25, 2013

Fake fish. Minimum-wage outlaws. Picking on Guy Fieri. And video-chat ordering at Starbucks.

Idea #1: Double check that fish. Even more evidence that mislabeled seafood has turned into a really big problem.

Idea #2: Don’t like minimum wage? Don’t pay it. That’s one Albuquerque restaurants big idea. “We had the choice to close the business and destroy 18 years of blood, sweat and tears and hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years … and fire 12 people or disobey the law,” owner Eric Szeman told New Mexico Watchdog.

Idea #3: Pick on Guy Fieri. First the New York Times writes a bitter, scathing review of his New York City restaurant, Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar. Now, some guy has created a fake website with the url guysamericankitchenandbar.com and posted fake menus with items like “Popcorn crusted popcorn chicken stuffed inside Guy’s Nuthin’ Fancy Meatloaf and superbanged in a volcano of Tabasco butter.” Or is that the real menu?

Idea #4: Order via video chat. Starbucks is experimenting with drive thru ordering technology. In some of its Washington and Nevada stores, when you pull up to the menu board, instead of talking into a lifeless speaker, you’ll see the barista in the store via video and put in your order to him.

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