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Panera adds 'pay-what-you want' chili to St. Louis menus

March 27, 2013

Three years after Panera Bread launched its Panera Cares cafe, where patrons pay what they can afford, the chain is rolling out a smaller version of the concept in all 48 of its St. Louis units, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Although most of the menu prices will remain static, a new menu item, Turkey Chili, will operate under the "pay-what-you-can" model.

Panera, which now has five Panera Cares cafes, calls its Turkey Chili the "meal of shared responsibility" and will expand it to other regions if successful, said Ron Shaich, the company's co-chief executive. Wanting to help more people while understanding that shareholders of the publicly traded company wouldn't be happy if all 1,650 cafes nationwide were nonprofit, Shaich said a compromise was born.

The new meal comes in a sourdough bread bowl for the suggested price of $5.89 with tax. It was purposely developed to be rich in nutrients, protein and fiber, to nourish those who are not sure where they might get their next meal, according to the story.

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