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A Fredericton area restaurant will reward customers in a unique way on May 24. Chocolaterie and Patisserie Fackleman featuring The Schnitzel Parlour, a Woodstock Road restaurant specializing in German cuisine will drop its prices for one night and allow customers to pay what they want. The only exception will be beverages and desserts which will still be regular price.

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GLEANER/STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHO

LET US TREAT YOU: Uwe Kuester, of Chocolaterie & Patisserie Fackleman, stands in his dining room of The Schnitzel Parlour on Woodstock Road.

"We wanted to take the next step when it comes to customer satisfaction and we wanted to show our customers that we value them," said owner Uwe Kuester. "I think the customer we have will pay a fair price or pay the price they can which is really the more important thing."

Entrees at the Schnitzel Parlour ordinarily run between $12.99 and $14.99. Kuester said he isn't scared of losing money.

"We trust in our customers. Whatever they pay is OK," he said. "It sounds strange but really that's what it is. If somebody comes with 10 cents that might be the only thing they can pay and they should have the opportunity to eat here too."

Kuester got the idea from several restaurants in his native Germany which permanently operate on the pay what you can principle. Since announcing it two weeks ago, he said his restaurant and it's intimate 25 -seat dining room has become almost completely booked.

"People instantly made bookings for this as soon as we announced it," he said. "We only planned to make one seating but in light of the response we might do another seating or do another night like this."

Mark Taylor is the founder of Diningpick.com, an online guide to New Brunswick restaurants. He thinks Kuester is on to something.

"I have never heard about anything like this in Canada so it's definitely cutting edge," he said. "There are so many restaurants available to people nowadays and the ones that are going to do well are the ones that take on these types of initiatives and ideas to stick out in that marketplace."

He said pay what you can night could catch on province wide.

"There are a lot of people who are interested in this because people are always looking for something different when they go out to eat," he said. "If the response is positive which it should be I think this will definitely catch on."