— The Triangle's first pay-what-you-can cafe has opened in downtown Raleigh.

A Place at the Table opened on Monday in the old Cafe de Los Muertos space at 300 W. Hargett St. Before securing a permanent home, the restaurant held pop-up meals at various local restaurants. The project was in development for three years.

The cafe has a laid-back coffee shop atmosphere with a menu that includes buttermilk biscuits with sage sausage gravy, an assortment of sandwiches and waffles. All food and beverages are pay-what-you-can.

The pay-what-you-can model allows people to pay in one of five ways:

pay what they can afford

pay a suggested donation

pay what they would typically pay plus a donation

pay specifically for someone else’s full meal

pay by volunteering

"We believe that volunteerism is a hand up versus a hand out," A Place at the Table Maggie Kane said.

The nonprofit's pay-what-you-can approach for food and drink is based on a model by the One World Every Body Eats Foundation. There are more than 60 cafes operating with this approach.

A Place at the Table is open 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.