Annalakshmi

Annalakshmi, the vegetarian restaurant is a great concept.

It's pay what you like. In fact, it's "Eat what you like & give as you feel".

I pay $10 everytime. Some day I might try $2, just to see the reaction of the cashier but I'm sure he won't even blink.

They have been around for a while, so I'm sure it works, even with funding from The Temple of Fine Arts.

Run like a charity, it doesn't feel like a charity. The ambience is cozy and almost lavish. The food is always very delicious. It's also one of those buffets that keep replendishing their food. I was there till 2 and the food kept flowing.

They are advocates of vegetarianism. But they are very easygoing and so you don't feel like they are pushing an agenda. But definitely not easygoing enough to serve chicken masala.

They also promote Indian fine culture, with scheduled dance performances in the evening.

Some of the staff may look a bit ruffled when they find out you don't have a reservation but otherwise they are quite helpful.

There are many lessons we can learn here that can be applied in our organizations:

• Values-driven
• Soft advocacy
• Motivated staff (volunteers)
• Non-profit doesn't mean cheap
• Non-profit doesn't mean low quality

I love to see their bottom line.