Happy Halloween. Now Go Away.

I find this sign at Young's Chinese Restaurant on Upper Street oxymoronic. (Did I just make up a new word? If I did, it works, right?)

Open? But stay out! If you were a family of four with two young children, would you eat here?

I'd like to see their cash inflow on the days before and the days after putting this sign up. This sign, to me, says "Go away. We don't want your business."

Imagine all the other things they could have done...

"Kids under 12 in costume eat free!" That might have attracted some new business.

OR--what if the "treat" at Young's was a 10% off coupon? Then whole families might have come back at a later date.

Or--what if the treat were a Chinese pastry of some sort? Maybe a mooncake? That would have introduced people to new types of Chinese food. (The Chinese--not really known for their sweets, right?)

OR--what if the staff dressed up in Halloween Costumes? That might have attracted lots of people, just to eat there and oogle the waitstaff. OR what if Young's were to host a costume night with a special set menu at an attractive price? "Eat at Young's before you begin your trick-or-treating!" That would have been a virtuous thing because people would come because of the special deal, and then they would stay and/or more people would be attracted by all these people in costume in the same place.

It just seems like when you run a restaurant, you want people to come in. And there are lots of interesting ways to do that. This sign is not one of them.