2 reasons why the Panera Cares Cafes is great for our community and 1 reason why it’s transcendent

When I first wrote about the Panera Care's Cafe, it was a surprising new venture.  

Now it's getting less surprising and more the norm.  Which is a wonderful development.

The best thing about Panera opening Illinois’ first Panera Cares Café (and the fourth nationwide) in our community isn’t that many down-on-their-luck people in Chicago will be able to eat a good solid meal every day, and possibly have just a bit more energy or inspiration to make one more phone call and get that interview that could lead to something good.

That’s pretty great, but it’s not the best thing,

It’s not the wonderful and amazing fact that Panera is leaning on the community to do what it’s successfully done in Clayton MO, Portland OR, and Dearborn, MI:  strike a balance of providers and acceptors in shared responsibility that Panera founder Ron Shaich calls “not a hand out, but a hand up.” 

But that’s not the best thing either.

The best thing about the Panera Cares cafes is that they’re turning a profit. 

Which means that other QSR’s might look at them and say, “Hmmm.  Maybe we should be doing that too.”

Now that would be the best thing that could come out of the success of the Panera Cares Cafes.  Stop by the new one at 616 W. Diversey, come join this important community, and see if you can personally help them strike the right balance.