We’re not built for pay-what-you-want restaurants

A new cafe run by Panera Bread in Clayton, Missouri, is attracting a lot of attention for its unique payment option: “Take what you need, leave your fair share” in a lock-box at the front of the store. Panera hopes the restaurant can cover expenses from diners’ donations while providing meals for those in need.

As Ron Shaich, the chairman of Panera, told The New York Times, it’s a bit of a social experiment:

“It’s a test of human nature,” said Shaich. “The real question is whether the community can sustain it.”

The concept of pay-what-you-want is not groundbreaking (remember Radiohead’s album in 2007), but the potential for rapid expansion courtesy of a large corporate partner is a new concept. Panera has the distribution network and cost efficiencies that make it easier for the venture to break even. And yet, I still don’t think this concept can work in today’s society.