Food Retailing / Supermarkets

Panera Expanding Pay-What-You-Want Concept

Two new cafés planned for 2012

Published

13 years ago

February 24, 2012

VMSD Staff

Panera Bread, the St. Louis-based quick-service restaurant chain, plans to open two more pay-what-you-want cafés as part of its effort to help feed the hungry, reports Crain’s Business New York.

The concept allows customers to pay what they want for Panera products. A Panera spokeswoman says about 15 to 20 percent of customers pay more, and about the same percent pay less or nothing, allowing the cafés to essentially break even.

The newest locations will be announced this spring and are expected to open this year. Panera operates pay-what-you-want cafés in St. Louis, Portland, Ore., and Dearborn, Mich. Earlier this month, the chain broke into the New York market with its first location on Seventh Avenue, near West 29th Street. Restaurants are also planned for Union Square and downtown Brooklyn.

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