Paradise Papers

[Montmorency]

A while ago I privately (idly) mused on the idea of a restaurant meant to provide whole meals, filling and nutritious meals, acting as a replacement for individually having to prepare or procure food. For some subset of people, it would be the primary source of healthy and affordable sustenance. It would not directly compete with idiosyncratic home-cooking or with "nice meals out" at standard restaurants.

But why would anyone visit such a restaurant, and how could it turn a profit to sustain itself?

Then I realized it can't work as a private enterprise, and it shouldn't be thought of in the context of private enterprise. So, here's a solution many would certainly cringe at: state-run canteens.

Canteens in every town, with meal recipes formulated by government scientists (we could at least make a good start given contemporary dietary science and improve from there), and prepared fresh according to local resources and affinities. People would come in with their universal federal ID (we need these anyway), which would authorize the order of 3 full meals per day, free of charge. Canteens would also be located in such a way as to integrate as social gathering spaces for the community.

Such canteens, with the right management and marketing, could be a proper hit with the bottom two income quintiles. Anyone could still buy whatever they like (meals, snacks, groceries, etc.) from the private market in addition to the state-funded meals.

The sticky part is that the success of government canteens would likely also lead to mass collapse within the ecosystem of low-income small businesses, those that cater to the alimentary needs of low-income residents. Medium-to-high end restaurants and groceries wouldn't take a hit, except to the extent where the canteens are so successful that bourgeois lefties make it fashionable to patronize them.

I mean, people would probably be happier and healthier...

[Pannonian]

A while ago I privately (idly) mused on the idea of a restaurant meant to provide whole meals, filling and nutritious meals, acting as a replacement for individually having to prepare or procure food. For some subset of people, it would be the primary source of healthy and affordable sustenance. It would not directly compete with idiosyncratic home-cooking or with "nice meals out" at standard restaurants.

But why would anyone visit such a restaurant, and how could it turn a profit to sustain itself?

Then I realized it can't work as a private enterprise, and it shouldn't be thought of in the context of private enterprise. So, here's a solution many would certainly cringe at: state-run canteens.

Canteens in every town, with meal recipes formulated by government scientists (we could at least make a good start given contemporary dietary science and improve from there), and prepared fresh according to local resources and affinities. People would come in with their universal federal ID (we need these anyway), which would authorize the order of 3 full meals per day, free of charge. Canteens would also be located in such a way as to integrate as social gathering spaces for the community.

Such canteens, with the right management and marketing, could be a proper hit with the bottom two income quintiles. Anyone could still buy whatever they like (meals, snacks, groceries, etc.) from the private market in addition to the state-funded meals.

The sticky part is that the success of government canteens would likely also lead to mass collapse within the ecosystem of low-income small businesses, those that cater to the alimentary needs of low-income residents. Medium-to-high end restaurants and groceries wouldn't take a hit, except to the extent where the canteens are so successful that bourgeois lefties make it fashionable to patronize them.

I mean, people would probably be happier and healthier...

British restaurant

[rory_20_uk]

After this latest lot were released I finally have started to look into it all...

For $115 / year one can have a private foundation in the Seychelles for one's own personal benefit. No tax of course and legally a distinct entity. For those who want to do commercial things (since Foundations themselves don't), the Foundation can holly own companies.

The paperwork is pretty minimal and there are few if any names of benefactors anywhere.

All I'm missing now is the capital to put in it...