A coffeehouse proprietor in Kirkland, Wash., says he's brewing up something special with his voluntary payment program that encourages patrons to pay what they like for the café's sandwiches, coffees, espressos and blended drinks.

Patrons pay what they choose in an anonymous drop box at Terra Bite, founded by Ervin Peretz, a Google programmer. Peretz, 37, says the coffeehouse will also serve people who cannot afford to pay anything.

The business was born of an idea to prove that people are essentially good, Peretz says. With a low-overhead business plan, Peretz expects to reap profits to share with various charities.

"People want something different," he told the Seattle Times. "They want to be taken to a new place, and they want to contribute to something."