Panera Bread wants you to pay what you want.
source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/18/nonprofit-panera-restaura_n_580316.html
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- jenrich
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I have been going to St. Louis Bread Company since I was 12 years old. It is an institution in the St. Louis area and what started out as one store in a tiny suburb of St. Louis has turned into one of the biggest chains in the country. It all started when four families wanted to bring Sourdough bread to the Midwest and since its conception, people have flocked to their stores to sip the soup served in those sourdough bread bowls and to eat their sandwiches. Today Panera Bread (the name Bread Co acquired when it was sold) opened a flagship non-profit store in another suburb of STL in hopes to make a profit, but a profit that all goes to charity. And here's there kicker business approach -they want you to pay what you want. That's right, it's not a typo - they want you to pay what you want. . Their hope is that they will make more of a profit then they would otherwise if it was just a conventional store and in turn, that money will go to help the less fortunate. Their model basically says that if people feel like they are getting something for nothing that they will give more and if they know it is for a good cause, they will definitely give more. You want two loafs of that sourdough bread? It would normally cost you around $12.00, but they won't make you pay the $12.00, they will simply tell you what it would cost and will point you to the tip jar to place what you think you should pay in that jar. I have to say that the city of St. Louis has gotten alot of negative attention lately. 10% unemployment, being ranked the most dangerous city in America and the loss of most of our big businesses have not helped our fair city. We have certainly had our fair share of the brain drain here and need alot of help to get back to where we once were. Hopefully this store will be the first step in the right direction. Panera wants to give back to the community and in return I have a feeling the STL community will give it right back. Even though we have had a rough go of it in the last few years, all. is not lost here in the Gateway City and finally we have a chance in this city to show people that when the chips are down, we still give back, no matter what other people say.
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