— Owners of A Place at the Table, Raleigh's only pay-what-you-can cafe, say their first seven months have been a success.

A Place at the Table opened in January in the old Cafe de Los Muertos space at 300 W. Hargett St. in downtown Raleigh.

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

Glenn Dunlap, who volunteers at the restaurant, said it has been life changing.

"I lost my business. I lost everything," he said.

At one point, Dunlap experienced homelessness and was not able to feed himself or his family.

He found the restaurant two month ago and said it has offered him a second chance.

"We see anywhere from 20 to 40 people who are coming in and volunteering for their meal," said Executive Director Maggie Kane. "On top of that, we see more people who are paying less. So, there's that option where, if you're having a tough week, come and pay less for your meal."

The restaurant is able to stay open because other customers choose to pay more for their meals and cover the cost of food. Owners said, so far, 80 percent of their customers have paid the suggested price or more.