Eat As-What-You-Need, Pay As-What-You-Want

Panera Bread in a St. Louis suburb is different from other Panera Bread Restaurants. This eatery refuses customers payments. Customers are asked to “take what you need, leave your fair share in wood-and-plexiglass lockboxes.”

According to Stephanie Strom’s report in New York Times, there are about 12 “pay-as-what-you-want” operations in the U.S. These restaurants provide free or low-cost food and operate with donations. This concept was initiated under the influence of “social entrepreneurship,” where restaurants keep enough money to cover operation expenses and leave the extra to “help needed people by feeding them or giving them jobs.” Does it work? Here are the examples of some customers:

· Two unemployed workers donated their labors by volunteering in the restaurant.
· A music promoter, paid 50 cents extra for a $5.48 “suggested funding level” for a potato soup and soda.
· Two college students left $15 for a meal with a suggested price of $24.95.
· A few people took advantage of such operations.

This concept does not seem to survive in some locations. Stephanie could not reach some of those restaurants anymore --- probably they are closed. Several operations have made modifications, for example, offering “pay-as-what-you-want” once a week only or providing low-cost meal or entrée. Some people believe this concept can survive in selective locations with community supports. What are your opinions of this concept?

References:
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/us/21free.html
Picture was downloaded from: http://www.panerabread.com/about/careers/

Comments

Is It OK for Hotel Staff to Wear Piercings and Tattoos?

Time has changed. I see more and more college students wearing piercings and tattoos nowadays, but is it OK for hotel staff to wear piercings and tattoos? The answer is “no, no, no.” According a report at USAToday.com, customers across the board do not want to see any hotel workers with pierced eyebrow, pierced tongue, tattooed arm, or nose ring. Some may argue that tattooed and pierced workers may seem more acceptable in edgy boutique hotels as compared to the big franchised hotels, but the survey results did not find any differences among a variety of lodging products. Many respondents believe people who wear visible tattoos and piercings are taking a high risk of their professional lives. If you stay in a hotel, do you mind being served by tattooed and/or pierced staff? What if you are the one who makes the hiring decision? References: USAToday.com: http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08042010 Picture was downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08042010P

Where Coffee Meets Culture: My Experience with Orientation, Socialization, and Culture at Dutch Bros (by Karina Martinez)

When people think of Dutch Bros, they usually picture colorful drinks, loud music, free stickers, and baristas so friendly they’ll jump in the car with you. As someone who has had the opportunity to work for Dutch Bros, I can say that the energy customers feel isn’t an act; it is the result of intentional and effective HR practices that are focused on orientation, socialization, and culture. From your very first day, you experience how these practices shape the entire Dutch experience. Orientation, Socialization, Culture In HR management, orientation is the introduction of the role and company to new hires. This is intended to help them feel welcomed and informed. Socialization goes beyond the initial training process; it’s how new hires grasp the organization’s values, behaviors, and traditions over time. Together, these fun...

Average/Below-Average Looking People Can Earn as Much as the Attractive Ones

Research has shown that attractive people can not only charm interviewers (and thus get hired easier), they are also more likely to earn more as compared to those with average or below-average looks. Accordingly to a Wall Street Journal report , attractive people can earn 3% - 4% more than a person with below-average look. If such difference adds up over a person’s lifetime, an attractive person can earn up to $230,000 more than an ugly worker; even an average-looking person can make $140,000 more. Another relevant Wall Street Journal report also suggests that workers who exercise regularly can earn 9% more than those who do not. If that is the fact (I believe it is), is it legal? Can employers do that? Linchi Kwok and Otto @SyracuseU Career Fair To my knowledge, no law or regulation under EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) considers a person’s look as a protective class. It is true that people in general have an idea of what kind of person they feel attract...

Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

Search This Blog