‘SpongeBob’ Restaurant Opening in Ramallah

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? The Palestinian entrepreneurs who decided to build an exact replica of the Krusty Krab—the fast food joint that employees the world’s cheeriest and most porous short-order cook, Spongebob Squarepants—in the center of Ramallah.

Questions abound: what, given that SpongeBob’s home, Bikini Bottom, is a nautical wonderland while Ramallah is landlocked, will the new eatery serve? Do the folks at Nickelodeon know about this bit of entrepreneurship? Is Spongebob that popular among Palestinians that his likeness is likely to draw diners? And if so, will the joint’s employees be required to dress up in square pants and little red ties?

These will all be answered in time. Meanwhile, as observant fans of the cartoon know, the Krusty Krab has a mortal enemy across the street, the Chum Bucket, another fast-food place run by a nefarious plankton determined to destroy his competitors, often by using advanced weaponry (and recipe stealing). Now that’s a case of life-imitating-art the region can get behind.

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