Panera Bread Co. has reopened a downtown Clayton location as a nonprofit where customers can pay what they can afford. “Take what you need, leave your fair share,” says a sign at the entrance of the Saint Louis Bread Company Cares Café. Patrons who can’t pay are asked to volunteer their time in return. The idea is the brainchild of former CEO (now company chairman) Ron Shaich. In a statement to the USA Today, Schaich stated “I’m trying to find out what human nature is all about. My hope is that we can eventually do this in every community where there’s a Panera.”

Cashiers give out receipts with suggested prices on them. Customers then decide how much they will pay and place their donations into boxes near the registers. The monies taken in will go towards store operating expenses. Anything left over will be contributed to programs that help feed the hungry and train troubled youth. The new store, based just outside of St. Louis, sports the name “St. Louis Bread Co. Cares.” The suggested prices are not based on supply and demand, or even on profit margins. In fact, the store is listed as a not-for-profit organization. The premise behind the idea is that those who can will help cover the costs of those who cannot.

When you eat at this particular location and donate your fair share – or more – you aren’t helping the store or company in any way. You’re helping out your neighbors who otherwise may not be able to afford to eat out. You’re giving back to the community by slipping an extra five or ten into the basket and contributing to some pretty great causes at the same time. I love this idea, honestly. Call me optimistic, but I think it’s going to work. Sure, there’s been several negative articles written today, condemning the project to fail long before its had a chance to prove otherwise. However, I truly believe in the good in people, and feel that it will be an overwhelming success.

What are your thoughts? Do you think a business using a pay-what-you-want model can thrive and succeed? Does this help or harm the community in which it resides?

Panera Bread Lets You Pay What You Want

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We all cringe when we pull up to the gas pumps these days. Unfortunately, our griping won’t lower the prices at the pump. Here are some tips sent in by a reader to help you conserve gasoline, and hopefully save you some money.

• Drive at the speed limit. Not only are speed limits designed to save lives and keep people from driving recklessly, but are factored into saving gas mileage. Driving at 55mph instead of 70mph on the freeway can save a lot of gas. The faster you go, the higher your engine’s RPM’s will raise, causing the engine to work harder. The harder the engine has to work, the less gas mileage you will see.
• Remove any and all unnecessary items from the trunk or interior of your car. That golf bag in the trunk – while it may be convenient to just leave it there, is adding extra weight to your car. The heavier your car is, the more the engine must work to drive it, resulting in less gas mileage. Also, make sure nothing is changing the car’s aerodynamic design such as empty crate boxes strapped to the roof.
• Roll your windows up on the highway. Sure you may think that turning on your A/C while driving down the highway will lower your fuel economy, but the drop in aerodynamics due to your windows being rolled down is far greater. When your windows are down, air passing over the sides of the car flows into the passenger compartment and produces drag – thus lowering your gas mileage.
• Leave unneeded people at home. It may be nice to have a companion riding along with you, but this person is nothing more then a 160lb object added to your car’s weight. The more people you travel with in your car, the heavier it becomes, once again lowering your fuel mileage.
• Last but not least, do not stop and go quickly at stop lights. A smooth acceleration is key to maintaining your gas mileage. Do not jerk between lanes to pass people. Passing causes your car to down shift into overdrive, effectively dumping a large amount of fuel into the motor for an instant boost in power. Doing this often can produce dramatic loss in fuel economy in a short amount of time. Having a vehicle that gets 6MPG, I have learned to ease on the accelerator when leaving stop signs or lights. When done right, you can see a fluctuation of at least 1-2MPG.
• Bonus Tip!! Having your car serviced on a regular basis, changing your oil when the manufacturer recommends and having your fuel injectors cleaned at a tuneup can add to your gas mileage in the long run. Clogged or damaged fuel injectors on a fuel injected car can lower your horsepower as well as your fuel economy! I always feel that my truck runs better after a fresh oil change – and noticed a significant increase in gas mileage after my last tuneup.

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How to Save Gas without Gas Savings