Monarch owners Jeff Orbin and Aaron Teitelbaum have rolled out a “pay what you like” promotion to patrons of their Maplewood restaurant. On Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the month of January, patrons can pay what they deem their meal to be worth. At the end of the meal, diners will be handed two checks – one for their beverages, which customers must pay in full, and another for food, for which guests can pay “whatever amount they feel is fair,” the owners stated in a press release issued this weekend.
Orbin and Teitelbaum hope that this promotion will attract diners to the Maplewood eatery during the month of January, typically a slow time for the restaurant industry. In addition, they consider the “pay what you like” route to be a better alternative to Groupon-type discounts, which Orbin feels have “gotten out of hand.” Instead, he noted, “We decided to invite everyone in and decide for themselves what our experience is worth with this very simple offer.”
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2010.