Forum Post: Non-Profit Restaurant: Panera Bread Co - Pay What You Want At Pilot Location
Posted 11 years ago on Jan. 24, 2013, 6:07 p.m. EST by Shayneh
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CLAYTON, Mo. — Panera Bread Co. is asking customers at a new restaurant to pay what they want.
The national bakery and restaurant chain launched a new nonprofit store here this week that has the same menu as its other 1,400 locations.
But the prices are a little different – there aren't any. Customers are told to donate what they want for a meal, whether it's the full suggested price, a penny or $100.
I wonder how long this restaurant will be in business before it has to change it's policy back to charging "menu prices".
Here's the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/18/nonprofit-panera-restaura_n_580316.html
Panera Bread has been using this business model since 2010 and it has been highly successful. From what I understand you can also give a hand to the staff for a meal at these particular stores. It is pretty clear that Panera Bread will not have to change it's policy since it has been successful for years already. It is people with no vision or real understanding of people or business that reject these concepts without ever even understanding the model to begin with. Once again it is nice to know corporations like In and Out Burger, Costco, and Panera bread can do the right thing and be ultra profitable despite what the pundits and ceo's of other companies say and yet another clear indication that the other companies are either lying or their business models and management are incompetent. Fucking parasites.
Is it all the stores or just some that use this model? I've never been to Panera but I know people who have and they never said it was non-profit or anything atypical.
It is only certain locations. Of course you get the benefit of knowing you are frequenting an ethical business plus all their ingredients are non gmo organic including the meat if you visit a regular location.
Bummer, I doubt the store in my location is of the ethical variety.
Why is it a bummer you are still patronizing a company that has high ethical standards and serves a high quality product.
Is it panera bread?
Very interesting. It could be a huge success but only if customers are willing to be fair and honest. Fair and honest isn't something that people are very good at these days....not the wealthy anyway. I wish I could be there to observe the transactions. What an interesting study of human behavior ( perception of value, morals, honesty) Would someone who drives a Mercedes donate more than someone who rode their bike to work?
Actually the stores have been very successful as they keep opening new ones. People seem to be more honest than the cynics give them credit for. "Panera does not track the numbers exactly, but it says roughly 20 percent of Panera Cares customers give more than they're asked. An additional 60 percent donate the suggested amount. The rest pay less or nothing."
I would believe that most people would be honest and fair..especially when they are in front of other people...peer pressure. I have found though that it's those like us who enjoy supporting ethical and organic businesses that are willing to pay more. Reminds me of the crowds at local farmer's markets. In any event, I think it's wonderful that Panera does this. The only other time I've seen this was with courses on the OM website where you pay what you believe is fair.
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Perhaps Panera Bread Co. can afford this since there are at leat 1,399 locations that can cover the folly of this experiment
No folly the Panera Cares program has been quite successful and they plan on adding more stores.
It will be interesting to see the monthly tallies. I just cannot figure how that model can lead to expansion.
Well they had one Panera Cares store now they have 5.