“Pay as you feel” restaurant makes changes to stop freeloaders
Lentil As Anything, the iconic “pay as you feel” restaurant is introducing new rules to get rid of freeloaders.
The restaurant, which began in St Kilda in 2000 and now boasts six locations across Melbourne and Sydney has a problem.
Its not-for-profit model feeds mainly poor and sometimes homeless patrons, who are welcome to pay what they can or what they think the meal is worth.
The trouble is it has become too popular with a certain class of clientele.
As a result, the outlet based at Abbotsford Convent has come out with new rules.
A statement released by the restaurant this week said patrons had to “wear shoes at all times, refrain from consuming drugs or alcohol, camping, or basing themselves for unreasonable amounts of time in or near the convent."
The statement said it still wanted a "positive, and inclusive culture".
The not for profit organisation has also banned BYO alcohol and it will introduce an a la carte menu this month.
The changes will be enforced by a fulltime facility custodian.
A long running feud between the restaurant and the convent’s management is at the heart of the problem.
Lentil As Anything operations manager Katrina Webb said many were now treating the place as a “second home or even a first home.”
While it still had an open door policy, it had to consider the interests of fellow tenants and visitors to the convent, she said.
“We are not a place to come to every single day, hang out all day and invite your friends. That is kind of missing the point,” Ms Webb told the Herald Sun.
Maggie Maguire, chief executive of the Abbotsford Convent Foundation, said the organisers hoped the changes would result in a more controlled environment.
Also, they could potentially produce better financial results for Lentil.
“Something needed to shift in terms of the number of people and behaviours of some of their clientele,” Ms Maguire told the Herald Sun.
By Leon Gettler, May 5th 2016
