# Strangest business combinations you've ever seen **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627 "2015-11-15T13:16:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/1 "2015-11-15T13:16:15Z")
What are businesses you’ve seen that do two things that have nothing to do with each other? For example, in Auburn, ME there used be a car dealership/ printing store called Minuteman Motors. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/2 "2015-11-15T13:47:50Z")
In Bolivia, I saw more than one, musical instrument/singing birds in cages, combo. Can’t remember what they were called now though! ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/3 "2015-11-15T13:49:59Z")
I hear in Springfield there’s an attorney that also does expert shoe repair. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/4 "2015-11-15T14:09:05Z")
In New York City, I visited an optometrist that also sold high-end chocolates. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/5 "2015-11-15T14:27:26Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > In Bolivia, I saw more than one, musical instrument/singing birds in cages, combo. Can’t remember what they were called now though! Notes For Cheep? Dry cleaners/pizza. Walk-in and drive-thru. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/6 "2015-11-15T14:32:10Z")
Back when I collected NASCAR diecast, one of my regular stops was a jewelry store that had a section dedicated to NASCAR items. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/7 "2015-11-15T14:37:41Z")
In Kansas City, Oklahoma Joes Barbecue is sold out of a gas station. Actually Kentucky Fried Chicken started out as a gas station where the owner started selling chicken on the side and soon people just came for his chicken and he dropped the gas station. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/8 "2015-11-15T14:43:33Z")
An uncle owned a jewlery and small electric appliance store. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/9 "2015-11-15T14:43:43Z")
Speaking of which, not a combo, but in downtown Melbourne there was an old repair shop that was still configured like an old gas station (i.e. with a very tiny pull-through). The place got bought by some people who didn’t reconfigure the inside very much, and even kept up some of the signs for awhile, and changed it into a bar called “Lou’s Filling Station.” You’d _think_ it would an ironic hipster place, but it’s a biker bar. Which is not to say that fifty-something bikers are never ironic themselves, but if they were, there’d be more of them dressed in full-on biker bling, whereas they are actually dressed in cutoffs and slogan t-shirts. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/10 "2015-11-15T14:46:12Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > In Bolivia, I saw more than one, musical instrument/singing birds in cages, combo. Can’t remember what they were called now though! In Singburi, a province in central Thailand, I saw a toilets/singing birds in cages combo. Back in West Texas, there was a bar/laundromat combo called Suds 'n Duds. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/11 "2015-11-15T14:56:37Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > An uncle owned a jewlery and small electric appliance store. That doesn’t seem that odd to me. It sounds like Sears without the clothes and tools. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/12 "2015-11-15T15:10:25Z")
In the past PA had some strange combo gun shops. Where I grew up a lot of gas stations also sold ammo and some firearms and back around 1980 Pittsburgh had a combination antique shop and gun shop run by this little old lady ----- in the basement of a bank. Oddest I’ve seen lately (to me) was a little grocery store/pet store. The pet shop was a little side room off the main area but they had a common door and cash register. They had some puppies and kittens but mostly birds and tropical fish. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/13 "2015-11-15T15:15:47Z")
Not sure if this counts but I got a speeding ticket in a rural county of North Texas one time. When I went to pay the ticket, I discovered the court was in a filling station. The judge was out there pumping gas! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/14 "2015-11-15T15:38:16Z")
I’ve seen ads on TV for some personal injury lawyer who is also a doctor. It’s not clear from the ads though whether he practices law and medicine out of the same office. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/15 "2015-11-15T15:50:19Z")
Was in the middle of nowhere Georgia once. Near where Jimmy Carter grew up if IRC. There was a store that sold guns, bridal gowns, and fixed computers. Maybe even sold bait. Not sure about that last bit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/16 "2015-11-15T15:53:17Z")
There’s a non-profit in L.A. that runs after-school daycare programs and also does exotic animal rescue. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/17 "2015-11-15T15:53:33Z")
Central Arizona had the XXX Liquor Store and the XXX Flower Shop in the same building. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/18 "2015-11-15T16:09:32Z")
A search engine company that branched off into building self-driving cars. Crazy! 😃 > [@Shoeless](#): > > I’ve seen ads on TV for some personal injury lawyer who is also a doctor. It’s not clear from the ads though whether he practices law and medicine out of the same office. The real question is whether this personal injury lawyer practices law and medicine **on the same client**! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/19 "2015-11-15T16:27:40Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > In Kansas City, Oklahoma Joes Barbecue is sold out of a gas station. > > Actually Kentucky Fried Chicken started out as a gas station where the owner started selling chicken on the side and soon people just came for his chicken and he dropped the gas station. Here in Panama, car wash/BBQ chicken places are quite common. It makes sense - while you’re waiting for your car to be washed, you can grab a bite. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627/20 "2015-11-15T16:39:33Z")
Marriage counselor, upholstery. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangest-business-combinations-youve-ever-seen/737627.md?page=2)