A Portland, Ore., Panera Bread outlet is set to become the restaurant chain’s third nonprofit “pay-as-you-can” cafe featuring charity donation bins rather than cash registers, The Oregonian writes.
The cafe in northeast Portland closed Tuesday and will re-open next week as a Panera Cares Community Cafe under the auspices of the company’s foundation. The first two such restaurants, which eschew set menu prices in favor of suggested donations to charity, opened last year in the St. Louis and Detroit metropolitan areas.
The foundation said 60 percent to 70 percent of customers at the first two charity cafes pay the full suggested price, with the remainder about evenly split between those who pay more and those who pay less or nothing.
One Response to Panera to Open Third Charity Cafe; Says Most Patrons Paying in Full
classymike - January 13, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I think it’s amazing how so many people willingly pay at or above the suggested price. I think it’s a very smart move on Panera’s part. It’s great for the community, and it’ll probably end up being a very successful restaurant. Well done.