Why Herman Cain Needs to Launch a Restaurant Bail-Out Plan

There is life after the restaurant business. Don't take my word for it, just look at Herman Cain.

Cain, currently the front runner in the Republican race for the presidential nomination, has moved out in front as fast as Joey Chestnut downs Nathan's at Coney Island. 

The 'Hermanator' Slices and Dices the Competition

The "Hermanator" has all but 86'ed Texas Governor Rick Perry. He's placed Mitt Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts, on the second page of the menu. He has sliced, diced, chopped, and pureed the handful of other candidates ,stacking them up as though they were last plates on an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet.

Granted, many say what Cain is spewing is made up of the same ingredients as those Nathan's hot dogs, but you have to give the ex-president -- of Godfather's Pizza -- a lot of credit for skyrocketing in a field of fizzle.

He has managed his ascend with a table-tent economic plan. Even though his 9-9-9 sounds similar to the pizza promotion hang tags -- a 9 inch pizza, with 9 toppings, for 9 dollars -- that we once found on our front porch door knobs, his message is attracting a following.

I can't say that I agree with him, but if you really look at what he has to say it adds credence to the fact he was a good pizza promo guy.

Yes, Cain has given new life to the word reinvention. As well he should. He was in the restaurant business. And for anyone who has ever exercised a successful exit plan, reinvention is key to every restaurateur's future.

Cain uses his customer service expertise as one of the qualifiers for his campaign. He claims his ability to make quick decisions and to think on his feet are assets that would suit him well when he sits behind that famous desk. He repeatedly refers to an incident when a busload of customers arrived in front of a Godfather's location and the store just wasn't ready for them. Cain claims he approached the crowd, explained it would take longer than normal to prepare the orders, and all was well.

It's hardly a monumental example to put someone someone in the Oval Office, but it's a great platform plank if he were running for president of the National Restaurant Association.

A Modest Proposal: Restaurant Recovery

I don't mean to be cynical here, albeit many restaurant owners do step to the side of cynicism. But one would think if Cain really has his eye on winning the election he would stop fantasizing about the 9-9-9 hang-tag economic policy.

Cain should start talking about what is really needed to stimulate the economy: A restaurant bail-out package.

Let's use conservative numbers: $450 billion. Divide that by 850,000 restaurants in the country, and each restaurant would receive a mere $529,000. If Cain would make that stimulus a platform plank the 13.5 million restaurant employees in the country would vote for him. If he placed another $50 billion in a new restaurant development fund every person who wants to open a restaurant would vote for him.

Since all of the restaurants in the country would be cash heavy they could lower their menu prices thanks to the stimulus package. Everyone would start eating out again, restaurants would become busier, and owners would once again enjoy the business so much, they would never want to leave it.

But then who would run for President?