Invest in your own lunch (or dinner)

Caught this piece of interesting news over one of the podcast channels on 27Feb2008. In Vermont, USA, one restaurant owner almost call it quits but the restaurant was saved by a group of 40 customers who pumped in US$1000 each to help in the restaurant's expansion plan. Note that the restaurant owner's decision to possibly fold up was not due to lack of business, but the incapability to expand. (p.s: if the food is good, then management must be the problem?).

In return, the "customers-investors" got meal coupons that probably could last quite a while to consume. The "coupons" (literally) are however, not guaranteed. i.e if the restaurant closes before the "customers-investors" consume their coupons, it would be a definite loss. But then again, if news get aournd, the pick-up in the business is a sure thing.
==> Download the mp3 podcast here:-
http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/
1095/24948288/npr_24948288.mp3
(copy the link if the direct link is not working)

I am just wondering if our local folks in Singapore would actually be such "entrepreneurial" and at the same time, have that community spirit to support their favourite Cha-Kway-Tiao stall, prawn-noodle stall, rojak stall or mee rebus stall?