Don’t be a cheapskate here

The Austin Chronicle took a trip up to the Route 66 town of Groom, Texas, to eat at the Blessed Mary’s Restaurant.

The restaurant isn’t all that different compared to others in that part of the country. You can order coffee, cheeseburgers or enchiladas — typical diner fare.

The restaurant is unique in that you aren’t charged for your meal. Instead, there is a tip jar, and you pay what you think it’s worth. Proceeds are donated to charity, including the folks who run the humongous cross in town.

The honor system seems to work well for the most part:

Jim and Carolyn Moraniec opened the cafe off of I-40 east of Amarillo four years ago come this August. Jim says that most people will pay a fair amount for the food. “Some people will stiff me, and some people will take money out [of the jar], but God sees,” he says in a friendly, low voice. “I know those are the ones I need to pray for the most.”

I find it interesting that Jim worked in a nuclear bomb factory in nearby Amarillo for over 30 years. It makes you wonder how he reconciled his faith with a job that created the most destructive war device on Earth.

Then again, it appears Jim isn’t a stickler about everything with his beliefs.

The local “liars” club meets there in the afternoons to swap stories, talk about the weather, and drink coffee. “No problem in the world too big for us to solve,” says one of the members who’s arrived early. […]

The overt religious messages around the dining room doesn’t mean that Jim is hardcore evangelical. He is a willing witness for his faith, but he will talk for hours on just about any subject. Jim’s faith in a higher being is what inspires him to do good for his fellow man. He claims that many of his business decisions have been driven by his conversations with God. […]
One of just a few restaurants mentioned in the Texas State Travel Guide, Blessed Mary’s has accomplished good even as Jim struggles to keep the doors open. He has helped others with groceries, rent, and utility bills. He bought a mother with two children a car. Some of the money from the business goes to help maintain the 190-foot-tall cross by the interstate that can be seen for miles.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve been broke,” Jim says with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. “It’s a blessing just being alive.” The back of his business card says: Faith, Hope, Love, Don’t Worry.

I’ve heard some good things before from roadies about Blessed Mary’s. Now that it’s getting some attention from one of Texas’ most prominent newspapers, perhaps Jim’s financial struggles will become less frequent.