The home equivalent of a fast food kitchen ticket printer!
I think this is a fun little project, but only until people discover how annoying thermal printers are in actual use, combining all the user-hostility of printers with a tiny form factor.
If you want a really unique gimmick, you can get wireless bluetooth thermal printers that have belt loops. Intended as table-side receipt printers for waitstaff or ticket printers for transit.
Another unique feature receipt printers often have that regular ones don't: a 24V pulse "kicker", intended for firing the release solenoid on cash drawers. I'm sure someone can find a use for that.
(I spent some time in the POS software mines)