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Matt Haughey was on his honeymoon in New York City with wife Kara when they attended a "Late Show" taping. -- Susan Guyett / For The Star

Indy Star

TALK OF OUR TOWN: SUSAN GUYETT
Publicity Letterman-style
April 30, 2004

Having a new restaurant promoted on "The Late Show with David Letterman" should be great publicity. But you know our Dave. He loves anything Hoosier and cannot resist taking a joke as far as it will go.
Red Eye Cafe co-owner Matt Haughey was in the audience, and raised his hand when Letterman asked if there were any Hoosiers in the house. Chatting for a few minutes before the show was all Letterman needed to make the Meridian Street restaurant a reference point throughout Tuesday's broadcast. Staffers pulled together a fake commercial for the 24-hour dining spot, which opened in Downtown Indianapolis on April 1. The ad not only encouraged vagrants and drifters to visit the eatery, it announced that just mentioning the ad would result in a free meal.

In Indiana, Haughey's business partners, Rich Bucheri and Don Poynter, both attorneys, gulped when they heard the offer. The trio decided to meet Letterman's offer halfway: Show up, mention the ad and get pancakes or a burger gratis from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The deal ends Tuesday.

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