A Maltese restaurant has started selling discounted ‘second-hand’ meals.
Paisanos, a fast-food restaurant in Sliema, introduced the concept after patrons began complaining about the high prices of items on their regular menu.
“I got tired of people bitching about how we charge 15 euros for a basic cheeseburger, without fries. And there’s only so many times you can tell people, ‘It’s because of the war in Ukraine’ without bursting into laughter,” said restaurant owner Steve Vella Cardona.
“Then last week I was walking past a charity shop and it hit me – if you can sell second-hand clothes, then why not second-hand meals?”
Customers who ask for the ‘Thrift Food’ menu can choose from a variety of leftovers, such as half-eaten burgers, pizza crusts, pre-nibbled chicken wings, steak gristle, and untouched side salads.
As for drinks, the dregs of various craft beers are available. And if customers prefer wine, they can suck on used corks.
“Our patrons can also opt for Lucky Dip, which is when we close our eyes, stick a ladle into the bin and put the first thing we scoop up onto a plate,” Vella Cardona said.
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association praised the idea and said more establishments should consider implementing it.
“This is the kind of brilliant innovation that capitalism fosters. Now even someone from Bormla can afford to eat at an upmarket restaurant, even if it’s just gnawing on a discarded lobster claw,” said MHRA president Tony Zahra.
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