The Triangle's first pay-what-you-can cafe has opened in downtown Raleigh.
A Place at the Table opened on Mondayin the old Cafe de Los Muertos space at 300 W. Hargett St. Before securing a permanent home, the restaurant held pop-up meals at various local restaurants. The project was in development for three years.
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The cafe has a laid-back coffee shop atmosphere with a menu that includes buttermilk biscuits with sage sausage gravy, an assortment of sandwiches and waffles. All food and beverages are pay-what-you-can.
The pay-what-you-can model allows people to pay in one of five ways:
- pay what they can afford
- pay a suggested donation
- pay what they would typically pay plus a donation
- pay specifically for someone else’s full meal
- pay by volunteering
"We believe that volunteerism is a hand up versus a hand out," A Place at the Table Maggie Kane said.
The nonprofit's pay-what-you-can approach for food and drink is based on a model by the One World Every Body Eats Foundation. There are more than 60 cafes operating with this approach.
A Place at the Table is open 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.