US entrepreneurs offer to ease hangover hell

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Sunday 05 December 2010 01:00 GMT
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Two US college graduates are enjoying a marketing bonanza after launching a business offering to help hungover party hosts clean up and recover from the night before.

"Hangover Helpers" is the brainchild of Marc Simons and Alex Vere-Nicoll, who only launched the service a few weeks ago in the college city of Boulder, in the western state of Colorado.

For 15 dollars per roommate they offer to deliver burritos and sports drink Gatorade to ease aching heads and calm fragile stomachs, while clearing up sticky glasses, empty bottles, stale food and cigarette stubs left by guests.

"We can be called in the middle of the night, during the party, when they realize it's getting out of hand and they want us to come in the morning," said Vere-Nicoll, who took one call at 3:15 am.

"I always call the next morning to verify, because a lot of the time they drink a lot (and) they don't even remember calling," he told AFP.

More organized party hosts book in advance. "But we also get calls from people who are lying in their bed, and they can't face walking out to a stale beer-smelling house," he added.

At the moment, business is relatively slow, as it's exam season for students, and the pair are doing all the work themselves - but they are already hiring students to help them market the service, and plan to get more cleaners soon.

"We're looking for the beginning of spring for things to get a little crazy," said Vere-Nicoll.

Media interest started with an article in the local paper, but has snowballed massively. "We've actually been approached from a number of different locations, big party towns, like to franchise the business," he said.

And what's the worst post-party scene they've been called out to?

"I haven't had one that's really horrific yet. It's mostly sticky counter tops, beer cans, empty liquor bottles, that kind of thing. And there are some pretty bad smells.

"But nothing crazy like dead animals or something."

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