No Such Thing as a (Nearly) Free Lunch? Think Again

LONDON, Feb. 9, 2009 — -- How much would you pay for lunch if you could walk away paying next to nothing?

This is the question weighing on every diner's mind when the bill arrives at Little Bay restaurant in central London. The kitschy, chic Mediterranean-inspired restaurant is in the middle of a monthlong promotion to ease the pain of the economic downturn.

Owner Peter Ilic invites customers to virtually skip the bill and pay only what they believe their meal is worth, plus the cost of beverages. The minimum: 1.5 cents.

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"Our menu is our usual menu except there are no prices on it," said Jessie, a veteran server at the restaurant who declined to provide her last name. "So you pay how much you think it's worth. The only bill you'll get is for drinks."

Inspired by the credit crunch, Ilic aims to attract customers by giving them an opportunity to save during tough times on any meal. Little Bay, located on the edge of the City, London's financial district, draws many of its clients from the banking industry.

"Poor bankers are losing their jobs and now they cannot afford to have a meal, so I'm giving them a chance to eat," Ilic told ABCNews.com last week.

"Now that there's bad news everywhere, I thought, 'let's give people better news and maybe I'll get more customers as well,'" he said.

Customers Pay Up Despite Price-Less Menu

At first glance, Ilic's February business model, which relies solely on consumer confidence, seems impractical, especially during a period of tight budgets and tentative diners. But Ilic says Little Bay is doing better than ever in the seven years it has been in business. Not to mention, he ran the same promotional deal at another one of his restaurants in 1985 with great success.

"Like before, the majority of people are actually paying more," Ilic told ABCNews.com. "Yesterday, someone paid 2 pence [3 cents] for their meal while most others paid much more. I work off the average and I'm making more."

"On Sunday, I'd say customers were paying about 20 percent more than the price," Ilic said.

He plans to run the special, which started Feb. 1, through the end of the month. If his revenues continue to skyrocket, Ilic will consider extending the opportunity for another month. With all of the free advertising by word of mouth and media attention, he estimates he has obtained more than about $148,000 worth of news publicity without spending any of his money.