Food on Faith

It’s either a concept whose time has arrived or an idea as hare brained as they come. Either way, the pay-what-you-can restaurant is a fledgling notion that remains under advisement.

In the States, where the economic pinch was more tightly felt than here, restaurateurs have increasingly extended this offer, inviting patrons to cough up only that which they believe reasonable exchange. At Terra Bite Lounge in a Seattle suburb, for one, diners are urged to drop dollar bills into a “donation slot.” Sometimes, they just up and leave.

In Vienna, a philosophy student opened an eatery called Der Wiener Deewan. Customers choose from among a rotating selection of curries, and leave behind whatever cash they deem equitable in exchange. At Lentil as Anything, a six-location innovation in Melbourne, cash donations are accepted in a box by the kitchen.

Closer to home, the Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar in Vancouver gets serious with its pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth policy, asking patrons to sign “oath cards,” wherein they pledge to take this social contract to heart, and pay only and exactly what they feel is fair market value. The restaurant lists suggested prices on the menu, and the difference, if it finds in the favour of the grub, is donated to a local NPO.

Asking people to pay what they can for their meal, long a tool in the theatre industry, might seem inspired—but it can leave folks feeling mighty uncomfortable. “It all comes down,” says Lentil as Anything’s Shanaka Fernando, “to the very underutilized concept of trust.”