1. High Security, 2055. Following the widespread legalisation of most intoxicants in Europe in the 2040s, High Security was a restaurant themed around smuggling drugs through airports. Patrons were thoroughly frisked and had their bags searched on entry, before being seated at a table in a small interrogation room and served one of a number of themed meals. Their pot brownies were particularly notable. High Security lasted all of three months before an incident in which a patron unfortunately assumed the small sachets of white powder on the table were salt, after which it was closed down.
2. Wet Dog, 2077. Wet Dog was a place for connoisseurs of what the founders believed was the most underestimated smell/taste combination: wet dog. Serving a select range of whiskies, wines and cheeses, Wet Dog also featured a real-life dog smelling menu, where patrons could compare and contrast the gentle fug of a damp spaniel with the full-on stink of a sopping saint bernard. Wet Dog managed two years of operation before its supply of contrarian diners dried up. It was able to maintain its large dog collection by rebranding as a dog cafe, however.
3. Shark, 2028. Shark was a cross between a takeaway and restaurant service for people without enough free time to go out for food. Patrons would place an order on Shark’s website during the day; in the evening, a waiter would turn up in a van with a large box containing a table, chairs, and a number of large screens linked in to other shark patrons to give the impression of one very large restaurant. The waiter would serve the requested meal, and the patrons were free to nip out in the middle to perform important teleconferences or wipe the toddler. Shark was a victim of its own success, with demand growing faster than its its suppliers’ ability to provide its unique screen technology. The virtual restaurant went on hiatus in 2029 and became caught up in the great crash of 2030, finally declaring bankruptcy in 2032.
4. Banana, 2025. The place to go for lovers of curved fruit, Banana specialised in introducing interesting and unusual banana and plantain cultivars to the UK and serving them up with a nearly unbearable amount of single and double entendre. Patrons could also mark their preferred state of greenness and squishiness of the classic Cavendish banana on a large chart on the wall, and admire the unusual decor (bright yellow with a selection of cock jokes in expensive fonts). Banana was shut down in 2031 following a spate of incidents in which its distinctive takeaway containers were used to hide automatic weapons.