Slurp'n'surf as iPads come to noodle bar

Published on Tuesday 22 June 2010 10:19

IT IS not exactly what you would expect to be served up with a bowl of noodles.

But an inventive businessman has come up with a "slurp and surf" restaurant that invites customers to play with one of six iPads as they eat on the go.

Michael Yip, 39, who already owns six Chinese restaurants across the Capital, has snapped up the Apple devices for the small noodle bar, called WaWa, on West Cross Causeway.

The mini-restaurant, which can only accommodate eight people at once, has no chairs, tables or stools. Instead it invites diners to surf the internet, e-mail friends and experiment with the gadget as they enjoy fast food.

Mr Yip, from Portobello, said he felt the iPad noodle bar fills a gap in the technological market as well as in the stomach.

He said: "It's a noodle bar for the young generation, and one of the only of its kind. You find that younger people nowadays don't just want to eat a meal, they want to do something else too.

"The idea is to dash in, eat your noodles and surf the internet on an iPad, then dash out. You only have to look at the waiting list and the queues for one to see how popular they are.

"Often a keyboard turns into a food tray for lots of teenagers, but in this case they can put their bowl on the shelf while they use the touch screen. The iPads are screwed to the wall, though, to prevent theft."

The noodle bar, which is set to open in mid-July, is designed to be basic and neutral, with a bowl of food costing an average of 3. The iPads are sponsored by local businesses who are allowed to offer rates and deals on the homepage.

Mr Yip said his restaurant would also allow people to experiment with the device before they buy one.

He said: "It's relatively new and the price is really steep at about 500. Kids aren't really sure whether they want to buy it because they're not sure what they could use it for. The noodle bar gives them a chance to have a go and see if it can work for them.

"Some people might find the lack of tables and chairs not for them, but it's the model of the business. The idea is to come in and eat a bowl of noodles quickly and efficiently. It's about slurping and surfing, and is similar to eating at a bus stop or eating while walking down the street."

He added that he had already signed up for two new iPhone 4Gs, which are due to go on sale this Thursday, to put in the store at a later date.

Mr Yip said: "If the noodle bar is successful I'd like to set more up around the city centre. A lot of noodle bars offer free wifi, but very few have computers, let alone iPads, so I think it will go down well with my customers."