Thank you for the alternate suggestions on how to start the campaign, but I am not going to change my setup:
- I realize that "you all meet in a tavern" is a cliche, but it's not actually one I have used before - my last three #DnD campaigns all started with the PCs going through the local immigration offices together, and I wanted to do something different for a change. Besides, I love playing with well-established tropes and see how I can twist them.
- I have already told the player that this is how the campaign is going to start - the PCs have agreed to meet in this tavern because they want to travel to the big city together for their common goal (find out what their magical birthmarks mean). The tavern will serve as the setpiece for their initial meeting where the players can get a feel for each others' characters, and get involved in the local shenanigans (some of which will be relevant for the campaign later on).
So I am not looking for alternatives here, but local color and perhaps some red herrings.