Pay what you want. An interesting concept that worked well for Radiohead and seems to be working well for Panera – a sandwich and soup chain in America. At their Clayton store in St. Louis, lunchers are encouraged to pay what they can. “We encourage those with the means to leave the requested amount or more if you’re able. And we encourage those with a real need to take a discount”.

Very bold stuff. The CEO Ron Shaich says transactions are up 5-10% and customers pay an average of 90% of the retail price. One customer even paid $100 for a sandwich. Above anything else, this gesture has got Panera talked about in a way not many sandwich chains are.  They are now part of a conversation far bigger than whether mayo belongs with beef and have become an integral part of their community. The café is now opening up to volunteers too. So far 215 hours have been clocked here. I love that a sandwich chain is bold enough to take this on. Keep it up Panera!