Camden Co. Restaurant's 'Pay What You Can' Deal Brings Families Back To The Dinner Table

VOORHEES, NJ — A new Camden County restaurant wants to bring families back to the dinner table — even if that means stripping the price tags off their menu.

In May, Girl with a Grill Restaurant in Voorhees introduced a "Pay What You Can" initiative. For one evening, families could dine at the restaurant and pay whatever they could afford.

The event drew 40 families and a combined 152 people, so Girl with a Grill held another "Pay What You Can" night last month.

"We want them to talk, communicate, get in each other’s business, find out what's going on with each other," Owner Lashaun Crawford said in an event promo on social media. "And the best way to do that is with what? Food."

Families get buffet access during each event. At the end of their meal, families are instructed to put their money in an envelope. The amount doesn't matter.

Only families dining at the restaurant during the events can qualify for the deal. Patrons getting takeout must pay menu price.

It's also not for every customer, Crawford says.

"We are opening our doors for families — sorry, this is not for our single folks — but for families to come out because we want them to get back to the dinner table," Crawford said in the promo.

Crawford, who has 20 years in the restaurant and hospitality industries, opened the family-run restaurant earlier this year.

The menu includes more than 20 variations of hot dogs and sausages, like "Blues City," which is bacon-wrapped with shredded cheese, green onions and barbecue sauce, or "The Wave Rider," which has lettuce, tomato, crab meat, shrimp and "dat sauce."

Burgers, wings, hoagies and fish platters are also on the menu.

Girl with a Grill is located in The Ritz Center shopping plaza at 910 Haddonfield-Berlin Rd., Voorhees.