No Check, Thank You!
You’ve just had a wonderful meal – a romantic night out with your main squeeze complete with food, drink, ambiance. You finish up your meal and then flag down the wait staff to ask for the check and they say “Sorry, we don’t have checks here, you simply pay what you think your meal and experience was worth.” Sound far fetched?
I was recently thumbing through old magazines and came across the article “No Check, Please!” in the April 2008 edition of Budget Travel. It talks about innovative restaurants around the world that are letting their patrons decide how much their meal is worth.
It is an interesting business model and certainly could fill a few pages of the Queercent’s What Would You Do? archive. However, according to the article, it sounds like once people get comfortable with the idea, it can really take off. It sounds almost like an elaborate version of the sliding scale — put a fair price on the food you eat based on your income.
Clearly different people place different value on food and dining. That is why there is room in this world for fast food, chain restaurants, and exclusive fine dining. I know restaurants Kim and I would consider middle of the road for fine dining would induce eye popping mutters of pricey pricey from my parents.
If you think this trend is just a one off destination fluke, think again. The article I read cited 4 restaurants and even more examples flow from the blogosphere. And, the trend encompasses coffeehouses and fine dining alike.
ABC News’ Reality Check recently wrote about “Surviving the Slowdown” and food deals:
2) Food deals — My friends and I found a lot of places which have had to offer special deals due to the bad economy. The best one was a place called ‘œStage House,’ a fancy restaurant in Scotch Plains. They have a terrific barbeque buffet. At the end of the meal, patrons decide how much they want to pay. They then give you a gift certificate for that exact amount, to be used next time you go. I asked our server why they were offering the deal, and she said service had been slow over the summer. Again ‘” the place was packed. Here’s the link to the deal:
http://www.stagehouserestaurant.com/Holiday%20Menu.html
It’s not just about being different or saving money though. What about the social good and feeling of community that could come from giving patrons a chance to have a personal investment and connection with their dining experience? Foodie for thought shares in “Quietly Changing the World, One Meal at a Time”:
I happened upon an article featuring the SAME Cafe–SAME stands for “So All May Eat.” Believe it or not, this Denver restaurant has no set menu prices. Patrons can either decide what their meal was worth, pay what they feel they can afford, or get their meal in exchange for 1 hour of service at the restaurant. And, if that isn’t cool enough, all the cafe’s food is prepared by a culinary-trained chef and his wife, using fresh and local ingredients.
Great food, service, and fair prices. Now that is something to get excited about.
Have you ever dined at a “pay what you think it was worth” type of restaurant? How did you decide the value of your experience? Even if you haven’t dined in such a place, what thought process would you employ to decide what to pay? And, let’s not forget – what is the tipping etiquette for a meal that has no bill? Love to hear what you think…
Photo Credit: Photo by gailf548
Paula Gregorowicz, owner of The Paula G. Company, works with lesbianswho are ready to create their lives and businesses in a way that fits who they are rather than how they were told they “should”. Get the free 12 part eCourse “How to Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin” http://www.coaching4lesbians.com and start taking charge of your own success.
Never having had the chance to eat at such a restaurant I would dearly love too.
My impression is that because you pay what you think its worth those who prepare and serve the meals will be “mindfull” (to use a Zen term) about the preparation and serving…in other words they will pay attention and do their best to provide you with both good food and a pleasant experience so that you will be inclined to pay more.
As for tipping….I would say same rules as those with priced menues…20% of what you pay or 30% plus if service was excellent.
~ Roland
Paula: I haven’t heard of this. I suspect I’d end up offering more than if they listed a price… just so I wouldn’t feel like I’m being cheap. I prefer the price list method.
Here’s another twist to the concept… in the UK there is an eBay style site, PriceYourMeal.com where diners bid against others for meals at top restaurants. I’m surprised this hasn’t hit the US yet. Priceline for the foodie crowd.
In Malaysia, a charity runs vegetarian restaurants under the name “Annapurna”. All the workers are volunteers and you pay, like you said, what you think the food and service was worth.
Most people end up like Nina… pay a little extra, especially since it is a charity.
And the food is excellent.
This article reminded me of the old Cafe Zapata in the Westcott Community back in the late 70’s/early 80’s.
My mom warned me not to go near the place, for fear of my becoming a “hippie lesbian.” Oh well. She tried. It only made Westcott Street all the more interesting!