You Want How Much For That
Cup Of Coffee?

Java Street Cafe owner Sam Lippert

The concept of tipping is an old one but rarely extends beyond the service aspect of a transaction. However, the owners of Java Street Café have taken the concept to the next level by getting rid of all prices and instructing their customers to pay “whatever they feel is a fair price.”

Despite the headline of the article – and the fact that he’s been intereviewed by CNN, MSNBC and Fox as well as numerous other news outlets – there’s no clear indicator as to whether this is a long-term win for owner. In the short run, however, according to Lippert, “Things have picked up. My sales and customer count are up on a given day between 50 [percent] to 100 percent. And I’m starting to look at being able to bring some of my part-time people on full time and maybe being able to add a couple of new employees.”