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Panera Cares

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Panera Opens "Pay-it-Forward" Style Location in Boston

Panera, which has a location in Marlborough, is expanding its network of restaurants that help those who can't afford full price meals.

The Panera Bread Foundation has opened its fifth nonprofit cafe where customers can help pay for others' meals.  "This is a pay-it-forward model and will only work if the community supports it and one another,” said Ron Shaich, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Panera Bread and president of the Panera Bread Foundation in a press release Wednesday. The Panera Cares location — at 3 Center Plaza in the Government Center area of Boston — has no cash registers or prices, but rather uses donation bins and suggested donations for meals. Customers are encouraged to leave a little bit more to cover the meals of those who cannot contribute, said Shaich. The store joins four others — in St. Louis, MO, Detroit, MI, Portland, OR and Chicago, IL — and was…

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