Money | Panera Bread Panera Scores With Pay-What- You-Want Branch Experiment shows 'people are fundamentally good': founder By Matt Cantor Posted May 17, 2011 5:37 PM CDT Copied Employee Kevin Wilson works behind the counter at the restaurant Tuesday, May 18, 2010, in Clayton, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) Last May, Panera Bread turned a St. Louis-area cafe into a nonprofit branch, where customers pay what they choose. A year later, the experiment is working out fine, the AP reports: Some 60% of customers pay the suggested price, while 20% pay more and 20% pay less. It’s the biggest-ever community kitchen—a trend in which businesses function in part as charities. Two more Panera branches have already sprung up, and many more are planned. Operating at 80% of retail, the Missouri branch pulls in a few thousand dollars a month beyond costs. The extra money goes to job and “life skills” training for at-risk youths, says Panera's founder. “The lesson here is most people are fundamentally good,” he says. “People step up and they do the right thing." Read These Next Her blood isn't compatible with anyone else's. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Rubio says the fate of Iran's conversion facility is what matters. Report an error