The sandwich and baked-goods chain is building a new outlet at 3 Center Plaza, across from City Hall, which is good for certain City Hall denizens who are now forced to walk all the way over to High Street on the Greenway for their coffee, bagels and WiFi.
Unlike the High Street and Back Bay outlets, however, this will be a Panera Cares, where you pay only what you think you can afford:
Panera Cares Cafes do not have prices. Instead, we provide suggested donation amounts to help customers understand what it will take for us to operate these cafes and be self-sufficient. In the end, it is up to the customer to decide what to contribute into our donation bins. Those without any means to contribute have the option of donating an hour of their time to volunteering in our cafes in exchange for a meal. In the end, our non-profit cafes can only survive if our communities support its mission and one another.
The Boston Licensing Board formally considers Panera Care's request for a food-serving license at a hearing next Wednesday in its eighth-floor hearing room in City Hall.