An interesting new restaurant called Potager has opened in Arlington near the University of Texas at 315 S. Mesquite. I mention that address because the article about this place in this morning's Dallas Morning News neglected to mention where this place is located.What makes this restaurant interesting is not what is on the menu, though the menu does sound good, what makes it interesting is how you pay for what is on the menu.
I'll copy a blurb from Potager's MySpace page which will tell you about how you pay for what is on the menu....
BECAUSE FOOD IS SO PRECIOUS, we don't want you to waste any. We're different from other restaurants where food waste runs rampant and food portions are ridiculous. At Potager, we would like you to ask for only as much food as you know you can eat--you are more than welcome to come back for more--but please, don't waste it. As a result, we have no set price for our meals.
THAT'S RIGHT, we trust people. You ask for how much you want; we ask that you pay what you feel is a fair price for it, keeping in mind that that plenty of love, talent and great ingredients have gone into the preparation of your food each and every day. We want everyone to be able to afford a wholesome and delicious meal, reconnecting with food in a way made almost obsolete in this era of fast food restaurants and cheaply made take-out.
Currently this pricing method does not seem like it's being a very good business model. According to the article in the Morning News it is currently costing Potager's about $8 per customer, while the customer's are paying about $7 each.
I think the pricing strategy is working "for now". The restaurant is getting a ton of free publicity (worth 6 figures). They can always change to a fixed pricing strategy afterward once everyone knows about their restaurant.
ReplyDeleteThis is for real. Cynthia (owner) has had the idea for years, based on a concept developed by her successful friend Denise Cerreta in Salt Lake City (One World Everybody Eats). There are no plans for fixed pricing and she only wants to do it this way. So far, they're doing pretty well.
ReplyDeleteBTW, any extra food immediately goes to a local homeless shelter, although there's rarely much left over. Most people are very fair with payment and it's becoming a local fixture on the food and social scenes.