Eat and Pay Whatever You Want

Duration: 02:42

Added: 20 May 09

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ZHANG:
And with the current economic crisis, times are tough for people all over the world. But one restaurant chain in Melbourne, Australia is trying to lessen the burden with their unique philosophy. Here's more from our Melbourne bureau.

STORY:
Lentil As Anything, is a unique vegetarian restaurant tucked away in almost seven hectares of what formerly was a convent in Melbourne Australia.

Its founder, Shanaka Fernando, explains how this restaurant differs from others.

[Shanaka Fernando, Restaurant Founder]:
"It's a restaurant where you come and eat, and after you eat, if you really like it you can pay whatever you want according to what your experience was. It's just about personal freedom and letting the forces of human nature dictate our success and failure."

Shanaka says he came up with the concept of the restaurant as a small microcosm of his aspirations that were formed in Sri Lanka where he grew up.

Part of the Lentil As Anything experience is that people of all backgrounds and classes get to interact with each other.

[Shanaka Fernando, Restaurant Founder]:
"Generally if you are struggling with finances and you are relying on charity for food, you eat amongst people with a similar demographic, but with Lentil As Anything you can come and eat amongst the gentry and the eccentrics and the conservatives and the whole cross section of the community hopefully."

The restaurant is a non-profit organization and Shanaka says its success can be attributed to the generosity of its patrons.

[Shanaka Fernando, Restaurant Founder]:
"The fact that rich people come and pay a little bit extra is what subsidizes the meals of the poor people who come and can't expect to pay what they'd like to pay because of their financial circumstances. So it is the generosity that has made it a success, the response has been overwhelmingly good."

Kyle Raftery and his friends are a few of Lentil As Anything's regular customers who enjoy the food.

[Kyle Raftery, Customer]:
"It's great, it's great! I love the different combinations of things, not your usual stuff. I grabbed the chili pears today which I don't think I've had before..."

Kyle also says that he likes the philosophy behind the restaurant.

Lentil As Anything has now expanded to four restaurants around Melbourne.

Chris Cominos, NTD News, Melbourne, Australia.