It's not my money, so I don't give a hoot, but I have to postulate that socialist twit, Ron Shaich and pinko foo-foo Kate Antonacci have graduated from smoking pot to mainlining crack. Watch this “social experiment” crash and burn in a few weeks. I’ve never bought their product, but after this I never will. I’d eat dog sh!t and drink horse pi$$ before I bought their crap.

True that

I guess you're right: not only can they spend their dough, but bake and eat it too. I'm going to have to add another line to the excuses of the Left: in this case, "For the Looters". The other ones are: 1. For the children, 2. For the environment, 3. For the 'little guy', 4. For the economy.
Some may say Panera isn't run by lefties, but I can't imagine any true Producer would attempt to do what they are. I understand giving away food at the end of the business day to charity/homeless shelters, but not what they are doing. But, to their credit, at least they are doing it of their own free will!

I think we should take a field trip.
personally, I have a little thing about clean windows. I am more than happy to clean a window in that place for a breadbowl of creamy brocoli soup and a diet soda. How do they miss the whole inefficiency argument? and where did they even learn to grasp the phrase "social engineering" ? liberal arts college public or private funded by multiple govt grants or just straight up cash and taught by professors who had no idea how to run an economic engine. that said, Panera is a successful company. if they want to play in their back yard, more power to them. as long as they're spending their own dough. :)

Seriously. Pay what you can? That's open to interpretation! Good point too, regarding the freebie, and ther person who shelled out $7.00!

I agree. I guess that's the message Panera is trying to send to their customers?

"They will think, ‘I am paying retail for a greasy sandwich, and somewhere else there is a guy with the same greasy sandwich, not paying for it. What kind of a dope am I?’”
that's my fav line of the article