A restaurant in a shipping container
Ever dreamed of owning your own restaurant? How about a restaurant that you can pack up and take with you across the country, or even across the sea? There is a new type of restaurant platform that has been popping up in different locations around the world, known as the MUV BOX.
Built out of a recycled shipping container, the MUV BOX restaurant platform includes amenities such as solar power, a kitchen, an HDTV flat screen and speaker system, a lighting system, and exterior seating. All of this can also be unpacked in only a matter of minutes. I find this pretty interesting; for those of you interested in travel, here is an easy way to take your business with you!
The main downside of the MUV BOX is the cost; a fully-featured MUV BOX is going to set you back about $225 000. This is a hefty chunk of change for a recycled shipping container restaurant, but if you can locate in a tourist area and sell a novel type of food, you could probably still generate a very healthy return on investment.
You can learn more about the MUV BOX concept by reading the design specifications.
Mid-week carnival
Since it’s in the middle of the week and I haven’t posted anything heavy this week, here are some interesting links for your mid-week reading:
- Yakezie: Yakezie Badges, Belts, Forums, and Leaders
- Beating The Index: Investing In Oil: The Fundamentals
- Get Rich Slowly: The Savvy Blogging Summit
- Money Smarts Blog: 8 Things You Need to Know About Withdrawing Money From Your RESP Account
- Darwin’s Money: How to Invest in Cuba – Obama Warming to Cuba Travel?
- Financially Digital: Technology and Your Finances
- Little House in the Valley: Sometimes Free Can Cost You More
- Money Reasons: Once In A Lifetime Event That Happened During The Driving Portion Of Our Vacation Trip
- The Passive Income Earner: Do you know what to expect from the usual bank ritual?
- The Daily Capitalist: The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: The Triumph of Crony Capitalism (Part 1)
So, reader, what do you think about this concept? I think it would be interesting, but you’d have to know your market and set up in a touristic location where people are willing to pay a decent amount of change for a meal!
The restaurant in a container reminded of the data center in a box concept that was marketed by Sun Microsystems several years ago. Sun used railroad shipping containers. This looks very similar.
These units look like Restaurants in a box (hehe)
I’ve always heard that the profit margin in the restaurant business is pretty tight! I wonder how competative these using are…
Thanks for the mention!
Woo that’s a cool idea for a restaurant….. I’m sure it would be hard work getting your investment back but the idea of a recycled green restaurant could bring in the crowds too.
The ‘restaurant in a box’ reminded me of these disgusting ‘pools in a box’ that used to pull up to our community growing up. That water was always such an odd color, absolutely disgusting.
Anyway, that does seem like a pretty hefty price to pay for a restaurant in a box. I am curious to see how successful this concept becomes.
Wow, I had no idea there was such a thing. People are so ingenious. Though $225K is pretty steep. =)
@The Biz of Life
I hadn’t heard about that before… interesting!
@Money Reasons
I see it working in touristy areas where people are willing to shell out the bucks for something novel and unique, but otherwise, it might be pretty tough!
@Forest
That’s right; it is a pretty novel idea and fits in well with the “green” meme.
@Everyday Tips
That sounds disgusting… I’ve never heard of a pool in a box! For some reason, your story reminds me of these “fish massage” places in Cambodia: You basically pay to stick your feet in an aquarium!
@youngandthrifty
I agree, it is steep. The materials don’t seem like they should cost anywhere near that much (though I could be wrong); you’re basically paying for the novelty of the idea!