Nonprofit restaurant.

Panera Co. to open more pay-what-you-wish eateries -- Associated Press

Panera Co. has opened a nonprofit eatery in Clayton, Mo. The idea behind the restaurant is pay what you can. After you have placed your order the cashiers tell you a suggested price and you can pay a little more, pay a little less, or pay absolutely nothing at all. It is designed to help those in need; ones who can't afford a meal and the extra money goes to charities. To control those who might be tempted to take advantage they have posted signs saying "You're on our honor," and employees explain how the restaurant is supposed to work when customers first arrive. They say they have had a few take advantage, but after a month in to the test run they have found out that people aren't so bad and really do want to try and help.

I think this concept is a great idea. Not only can someone who is in need get a free meal, but people can also make a difference by donating and their money goes to someone else in need. Panera is really giving back to the community; in these hard economic times this could really make a difference in many peoples lives. If other restaurants decided to do things similar to this I think it would be outstanding. I just hope that people don't abuse this because that would be extremely unfortunate. In the article it said that a teenager had come in and purchased $40 worth of food and ended up paying just a couple dollars for it. People need to realize what this restaurant has been setup to do and respect that they are trying to take a difference; they can't make a difference in the community if they community doesn't want to pitch in a little themselves.