Chester County Cafe Joins in Pay as You Wish Pricing Trend

In 2011, Radiohead released its latest album online and allowed buyers to set their own price. The album still sold millions worldwide, bringing national attention to the idea that fixed pricing is not the only option.

But while Radiohead’s experiment was the most high profile example of the “pay what you want” model , there are a number of brick and mortar restaurants, such as Panera Bread and California’s Karma Kitchen, that are allowing customers to pay what they want for some, if not all, of their products.

Now, this national trend has touched down in the Philadelphia region. Chester County’s Camphill Cafe has introduced Pay As You Wish Thursdays. Every Thursday customers can pay whatever amount they want for any item on the menu. Above-the-cost proceeds go towards subsidizing those who cannot pay the the full amount for a meal and who may also be in need of more nutritional food.

Any additional funds from generous customers will go towards residents of Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, a farming and handcrafting community that provides housing and living assistance to adults with developmental disabilities.

Camphill Cafe, like Karma Kitchen and Panera Bread, is helping to realize the charitable potential of this model. Hilla Haut, manager at Camphill, said in a press release that she was inspired by Karma Kitchen and the philosophy that customers have the ability to subsidize one another if a balance is struck between generous donations and providing food to those in need.