Free lunches for man who got facial tattoo

There is an anecdote that says there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Depending on your perspective, one north Moravian man is either proving the exception or paying a steep price for his midday meals.

The 32-year-old, whose name has yet to be released, has gotten the name of a restaurant listing website tattooed permanently on his forehead in exchange for 200,000 Kč plus a year's worth free lunches at restaurants featured on the site.

The north Moravian man said he decided to enter the competition because he liked the idea of the tattoo and wanted the prize money.

"This seemed an easy way to gain 200,000 Kč, and of course, it is also interesting because it expresses some extravagance," he told organizers. "And I don't mind it so long as I am about to get money for it."

Speaking three days after getting the tattoo - which says "Obedvat.cz" (to eat lunch) in one-inch high solid black lettering - the man was far from having second thoughts.

"I feel fine and checked myself in the mirror, and I like it," he said. "I don't regret it at all, and I will certainly enjoy the money."

He admitted he had been getting some strange looks when he went out in public, but seemed unperturbed, if not pleased, by the extra attention.

"People have slowly started to turn around and see what I have on my forehead," he said. "It is strange and extravagant, and I like that."

Website owner Jiří Jurečka told The Prague Post he was "really surprised" by the public response to the competition.

"We really didn't expect such interest," he said, with the site being forced to close the competition a month early after it quickly drew more than 250 entries, including 170 on the first day alone.

Jurečka said he was inspired to run the promotion by "similar campaigns abroad," including that of boxer Bernard Hopkins, who recouped $100,000 for having a temporary henna tattoo drawn on his back advertising the website address of a Las Vegas casino, GoldenPalace.com.

The Nevada Gaming Commission banned further tattoo advertising but lost a later court challenge against the ban. The practice nonetheless came to a halt, however, when the television channel ESPN said it would not televise any more bouts with ad-laden fighters.

Obedvat.cz is already calling for nominations for its next promotion, Best Waiter 2011, in which 20 winning servers will share a prize fund of 70,000 Kč.

In the meantime, the video of the man getting tattooed is online at Youtube.com/obedvat.

- Filip Šenk contributed to this report.

Bill Lehane can be reached at
blehane@praguepost.com