A free restaurant
Patrick entered Instant Dragons’ Den with an idea he had considered for 12 years: a restaurant where every meal would be free because advertising covered the cost. Plates, furniture, walls and almost every visible surface could carry a commercial message.
Deborah Meaden accepted that the underlying model was not entirely ridiculous but questioned Patrick’s proposed £500,000 opening cost and the experience offered by a room covered in mismatched adverts. People visited restaurants to enjoy themselves, she argued, and might not accept advertising being pushed at them throughout dinner simply to avoid the bill.
Deborah declined to invest. Listeners were more supportive, with chefs and potential customers volunteering to try the restaurant, but the show still had not secured its first successful pitch.
Bieber parties
Scott and Chris discovered nightclub events playing nothing but Justin Bieber. The success of Purpose had made Bieber parties a genuine trend, with examples appearing around the country and selling out.
They wanted to know whether the nights included old songs as well as the new album and whether related artists such as Sean Kingston were permitted. The idea seemed ridiculous for only a moment before both men decided they wanted to attend one.
Scott Joe Mills
The campaign to name things after Scott had already produced a cottage and the bridge at Fleet Services. Joe decided the only way to go further was to rename himself.
After Manchester United lost a match and his friends dared him to follow through, he created a deed poll changing his name from Joe to Scott Joe Mills. The inexpensive document required witnesses but was, he insisted, as official as a more costly service.
The change immediately raised questions about his passport, a university trip to Hong Kong and whether he would respond when friends called him Scott. He had treated the escalating joke seriously enough to alter his identity, leaving Scott impressed, alarmed and keen to ensure his new namesake stayed out of trouble.
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