Free? Not so much…

A new restaurant has opened in New Jersey. The founder is a famous rock star by the name of Jon Bon Jovi and it is called a “pay what you can” restaurant. You may have heard about it on the news but if you haven’t, you can find the article here:

http://scoop.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/21/8429072-bon-jovi-in-his-own-words-bringing-soul-to-those-in-need

Sounds like a wonderful idea. And it is. Except…it might not be. Let me explain.

I have thought for years about opening up a free restaurant. Not a “pay what you can” restaurant. But a free restaurant. What is the difference? Dignity.

You see, a “pay what you can” restaurant puts the patron in the awkward position of having to admit they can’t afford to pay the bill. I saw a story once about a restaurant who did this and, when the customer went to pay, they would be told, “you owe $10.50” and the customer would have the option of saying “but I can only afford $2” and they would be told that is ok. That is all you have to pay.

My oh my, isn’t that nice of the restaurant! Look how kind they are!!! Certainly does stroke their egos, doesn’t it???

That’s just the thing. It strokes their egos and makes them feel good about the kindness they are bestowing on those less fortunate. But the person who is less fortunate is made to feel about 2 inches tall. It is humiliating.

The restaurant that Jon Bon Jovi is opening has no prices on their menus but a suggested donation of $10. If you can’t afford the $10, then you can work for your food.

Yup, that’s right. They aren’t giving away the food. If you can’t afford to pay, you have to do the dishes. Or mop the floor. Or clean the bathroom. Yeah…that is certainly a dignified way of treating people.

So the people who run this restaurant feel really good about helping other people but the people they are supposedly helping are made to feel humilated.

It doesn’t have to be this way. I know this as a fact. I have run a free bean supper at my church for years now. Yes, we do have a donation jar by the door. But we don’t watch to make sure that everyone donates something. As a matter of fact, based on the $10’s and $20’s that appear, I’m pretty sure that some people donate a lot and others don’t donate at all.

But I have found out that, on average, it ends up being over $2 per person donated. Lately it has been closer to $3 per person. So if we have 45 people, we get close to $120. Which is more than enough to cover the cost of the meal.

We don’t ask for a suggested donation and we certainly don’t ask people to work for their food. We simply offer them a delicious meal free of charge.

Someday I hope to open my free restaurant. And it will be free. It will have an endowment to buy the food, pay the overhead and pay the employees. We will take donations but it will be private and if people can’t afford to pay anything, then they don’t have to pay. We will even send free food home with people if they have someone at home who couldn’t come or if they need a meal for the next night and can’t drive over to get it.

People will have the joy of dining out and being part of the community but won’t have the indignity of having to admit they can’t afford to pay and, subsequently, have to do the dishes to pay for the meals. That is what I call a real free restaurant.

I commend Jon Bon Jovi for having an altruistic attitude and trying to do good. I just think that if the food is supposed to be free, then it should be free. Also, it is not just a matter of feeding people but treating them with respect and dignity. Everyone deserves that…no matter what their economic status may be at this point in time.