This potentially anticompetitive bundling alert comes courtesy of Lynne Kiesling at the always wonderful Knowledge Problem. Kiesling observes that the Chicago foie gras ban has resulted in restaurants bundling salad with foie gras. I take it that the bundle circumvents the ban. Apparently, this means that consumers who want their foie gras are now coerced into eating salad! They are at least forced to purchase the salad. Surely, this is an attempt to monopolize the salad market. I feel an antitrust class action coming on. While their at it, the class might want to take a look at these onerous “no substitution” rules some restaurants impose for various specialty dishes rather than offering a full a la carte menu allowing consumers unfettered choice among all the possible combinations and permutations of ingredients. A serious analysis of these problems is well beyond the scope of this post.  But I do advise Chicago restauranteurs to seek antitrust counsel.
RELATED POST: See Thom’s earlier entry on What’s the Matter With Chicago?
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And I’ve always thought it was inexcusable that I’m forced to buy an entire bag of potato chips at the store. Sometimes I want 42 chips, other times I want 51. When I’m forced to buy 57 it’s just plain coercion.
The real outrage is that Thai restaurants in any city don’t offer Italian desserts. If that isn’t illegal bundling, what is?