| | Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries | |
| | Author | Message |
---|
KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:11 am | |
| Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries CLAYTON, Mo. – As the first crowd of customers filed into Panera Co.'s nonprofit restaurant here, only the honor system kept them from taking all the food they wanted for free.
Ronald Shaich, Panera's chairman, admitted as he watched them line up that he had no idea if his experiment would work. The idea for Panera's first nonprofit restaurant was to open an eatery where people paid what they could. The richer could pay full price — or extra. The poorer could get a cheap or even free meal.
A month later, the verdict is in: It turns out people are basically good.
Panera, which operates 1,400 franchised and corporate-owned bakery-cafes across the country, plans to expand the nonprofit model around the nation, opening two more locations within months.
"I guess I would say it's performing better than we even might have hoped in our cynical moments, and it's living up to our best sense of humanity," Shaich said in an interview.
Its cashiers tell customers their orders' "suggested" price based on the menu. About 60 to 70 percent pay in full, Shaich said. About 15 percent leave a little more and another 15 percent pay less, or nothing at all. A handful have left big donations, like $20 for a cup of coffee.
The restaurant took in $100,000 in revenue its first month. He declined to say what kind of margin this left between total costs and revenue, but he predicted the restaurant will be able to cover its costs within months and eventually generate extra cash for charitable programs.
Panera's nonprofit plan is the largest example yet of a concept called community kitchens, where businesses operate partly as charities. Customers who need a discount, or even free food, can get it with no questions asked.
Shaich borrowed the idea from a restaurant in Denver and then connected with Denise Cerreta, who runs The One World Salt Lake City restaurant with a sliding scale menu. Cerreta's community kitchen and others he looked into were impressive, Shaich said, but operated on a smaller scale than Panera could afford to run.
The Clayton store is run under the company's St. Louis Bread Co. banner by a nonprofit organization called Panera Cares that publicly traded Panera Co. supports. But Panera won't bear the nonprofit's losses if the experiment fails. For the expansion, Panera spokeswoman Kate Antonacci said, the nonprofit is considering locations that, like Clayton, are upscale but accessible to lower-income customers. In Clayton's case, St. Louis County's offices and court house are nearby.
The Clayton Panera has hardly turned into a soup kitchen. Its longtime business clientele kept the lunch hour busy last week, with well-dressed workers clustered around laptops and talking on cell phones.
Financial adviser Jeff White, 34, said he was a regular at the location before it closed and reopened as the nonprofit in late May and hasn't changed his dining habits. White said he usually rounds up when he pays his tab, because he wants the "intriguing" experiment to succeed.
But there were new customers — drawn to the bargains. Anna and Bennie Ward heard about the pay-what-you-wish model on the news. Anna thought it was too good to be true, so she researched it on the Internet before driving over for lunch with Bennie their two kids.
It was a rare chance for the couple to dine out, Anna said. Bennie is laid off and her only income is from disability checks. The family ordered sandwiches, iced coffee drinks and bread to go.
"Near the end of the month is difficult for us. If it was not for help from friends and community, I don't know where we would get our last meal," Anna Ward said after the meal. "To be able to go there and eat an actual meal and feel full is such a blessing."
Shaich had moments of doubt during the restaurant's first weeks, including when a teenager bought $40 worth of sandwiches to go and put just a few dollars on a credit card.
"You get a little bummed out, and you wonder whether people will get it," he said.
To control freeloaders, signs remind customers that "You're on your honor." Workers stationed at the door, who explain the concept to customers, told a group of teenagers who ate there last week that the store is "not a handout."
Shaich said the nonprofit chain is a challenge to other corporations to push their philanthropy beyond writing checks. More valuable, he said, is to put their supply chains, technology and knowledge to use.
"The fascinating question to me is: Can we take our skills — our core competencies, as we call them in business — and apply them very directly to solving some of the problems" in society, he said. "And not just for publicity, but to make a difference."
| |
| | | c/thru
Blurts : What is this decade called ? Location : almost Mile High Hobbies : Freedom Tracker Humor : floating under a delicate layer of apathy Super Powers : can turn water into ice Number of posts : 3049 pennies : 3303 Rep : 123
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:12 pm | |
| Hello...it's said "non-profit chain" | |
| | | KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Sat Jul 24, 2010 3:49 pm | |
| i wonder if the church makes a profit? | |
| | | c/thru
Blurts : What is this decade called ? Location : almost Mile High Hobbies : Freedom Tracker Humor : floating under a delicate layer of apathy Super Powers : can turn water into ice Number of posts : 3049 pennies : 3303 Rep : 123
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:24 pm | |
| - KK wrote:
- i wonder if the church makes a profit?
the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh | |
| | | KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:36 pm | |
| - c/thru wrote:
- KK wrote:
- i wonder if the church makes a profit?
the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh i wonder if he's been effected by the economy | |
| | | Joebert
Age : 63 Location : @ Computer Hobbies : Sleep/Photography Humor : Seinfeld (show) has it all! Super Powers : Faster than a speeding bulet...is that bad? Number of posts : 3905 pennies : 3262 Rep : 97
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:21 am | |
| - KK wrote:
- c/thru wrote:
- KK wrote:
- i wonder if the church makes a profit?
the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh i wonder if he's been effected by the economy very church I've been to harps about money. I'm sure the economy is hurting them. They live off others. | |
| | | KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:01 pm | |
| - Joebert wrote:
- KK wrote:
- c/thru wrote:
- KK wrote:
- i wonder if the church makes a profit?
the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh i wonder if he's been effected by the economy very church I've been to harps about money. I'm sure the economy is hurting them. They live off others. that's what charity is | |
| | | Guest Guest
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:19 am | |
| That is an interesting concept. It's inevitable that some people will over and under-pay.. |
| | | Madison
Location : @ work 2 much Hobbies : reconciling c/thru Humor : sexist Super Powers : faux feminism reparations Number of posts : 621 pennies : 299 Rep : 20
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries Sat Sep 18, 2010 11:21 am | |
| - KK wrote:
- Joebert wrote:
- KK wrote:
- c/thru wrote:
- KK wrote:
- i wonder if the church makes a profit?
the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh i wonder if he's been effected by the economy very church I've been to harps about money. I'm sure the economy is hurting them. They live off others. that's what charity is tithing and taxes .... they both start with a "t" ....hmmmm.... coinky-dink | |
| | | Sponsored content
| Subject: Re: Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries | |
| |
| | | | Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries | |
|
Similar topics | |
|
| Permissions in this forum: | You cannot reply to topics in this forum
| |
| |
| Latest topics | » the last person the person here wins by Admin Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:38 pm
» Interesting stuff by KK Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:54 pm
» Random Stuff... by Jats Sat Jun 25, 2011 5:58 pm
» anyone still here ? by KK Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:01 pm
» Happy Birthday C/Thru!! by Lady Snipe Dragon Fri Jun 03, 2011 12:51 pm
» vintage movie gifs by Jats Thu May 26, 2011 8:46 pm
» Oprah Memorial service by Joebert Wed May 25, 2011 5:54 pm
» Bristol Palin earns $262K for teen pregnancy work by Joebert Wed May 25, 2011 1:31 am
» whatever you feel like by Joebert Tue May 24, 2011 10:21 pm
» Trumped by Joebert Tue May 24, 2011 10:08 pm
» pick a royal wedding hat by Joebert Tue May 24, 2011 10:01 pm
» so which one of you wants to throw down? by KK Thu May 19, 2011 7:37 pm
» the photo of the year's wiki page by alivegenieII Wed May 18, 2011 6:13 pm
» Congratulations on popping C9's flaming & smite war cherry by Lady Snipe Dragon Tue May 17, 2011 11:29 pm
» President 0bama’s approval rating hits a new low by KK Sun May 15, 2011 5:32 pm
» New Books on Ward by alivejeanie Sat May 14, 2011 3:25 pm
» New Holidays ? by Lady Snipe Dragon Mon May 09, 2011 8:50 pm
» Fleamailman, care to explain this ? by c/thru Sun May 08, 2011 10:25 pm
» Happy Mothers Day.. by c/thru Sun May 08, 2011 8:12 pm
» SuperBowl countdown by Guest Sat May 07, 2011 10:14 pm
» International Womens Day 2011 by Guest Sat May 07, 2011 10:06 pm
» wuzz up suckas by KK Sat May 07, 2011 9:40 pm
» INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT of 2004 by KK Sat May 07, 2011 8:39 pm
» Victron Energy and their Portfolios by KK Tue May 03, 2011 7:47 pm
» I voted today by KK Tue May 03, 2011 7:45 pm
» Flax Milk & your omegas by KK Tue May 03, 2011 7:43 pm
» Happy Easter 2011 by Lady Snipe Dragon Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:37 am
» Spanish scientists search for fuel of the future by KK Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:31 pm
» Amen !!! VIP LINKS by KK Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:28 pm
» Youtube changed their type of linking codes.. by c/thru Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:07 pm
» YOU balance the Federal Budget by c/thru Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:05 pm
» Interesting Images.. by c/thru Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:00 pm
» Avacs by KK Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:13 am
» Oil near $112 as attacks damage Libyan oil fields by KK Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:52 am
» Stamp gaffe tears Kate and William apart It may come as a shock, but Kate Middleton and Prince William have 'split' less than one month before they are due to tie the knot. by KK Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:45 pm
|
|