Business & Tech

Bed Bugs at The Pavilion? No Problem!

A new seat cover inspired by the Slope theater's rumored bed bug problems promises to protect against the creepy-crawlies.

The Pavilion may be , but if the fear of bed bugs still gives you the heebie-jeebies, this new contraption has you covered.

Jack Gindi invented the BugOff, a disposable seat cover, after his wife refused to go to the movies with him last summer after reading up on rumors that the Slope movie theater had bed bugs.

“She wouldn’t go to the theater, and I was like, ‘this is ridiculous, there has to be a solution,’” said the Flatbush resident. “Soon after that we went to a Broadway show and I brought a plastic tablecloth to sit on. People all around us were asking questions. We conducted sort of an informal focus group right there.”

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Gindi, an importer by trade, soon developed a prototype for the recyclable, polypropylene seat cover.

“Essentially, it’s a barrier between you and the seat you’re sitting on,” said Gindi.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Since hitting the market in May, Bed Bath and Beyond, Duane Reade and Walgreens have all picked up the invention. They’re also available for sale directly on the product’s website.

“A lot of people who have bought it are not even aware of the bed bug problem, they just like the idea of a barrier,” said Gindi, mentioning that the cover is particularly great for situations like airplanes, where you sit for hours on a seat that many others before you have sat as well.

But most importantly, Gindi can now talk his wife into going to the movies with him.

“We’ve been to the theater at least a dozen time since the product became available,” he said. “My social life has definitely improved.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here