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Lentil as anything vegetarian restaurant
Lentil as Anything is a series of pay as you feel, not for profit vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, founded by Shanaka Fernando running on a similar model to pay what you can. It is named after the Australian new wave band Mental As Anything. There are currently five restaurants, the first of which opened in 2000 in St. Kilda and the largest being located in the former Abbotsford Convent. The most recent venue opened in Melbourne suburb of Thornbury in 2015, and four other locations have opened and later closed in the franchise's history. Lentil as Anything is a multicultural and refugee friendly organisation.
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Live music, world music, films, and artworks are often performed and displayed at the restaurants, particularly at Abbotsford and Thornbury, where the restaurants have become public meeting places with many patrons traveling from the north and east. Food is sourced from local organic food suppliers, prepared on site and often served in buffet style allowing guests to choose their own meals. There is also a large range of vegan and gluten free options with the exception of the Newtown, Thornbury and Preston locations where everything is vegan. All locations also feature espresso coffee and some cakes. Lentil as Anything also offers a catering service and notably catered for the Green New Deal conference in Melbourne in 2009.
The restaurants wholly rely on the generosity of their patrons, volunteers and suppliers to operate, receiving no government funding. Patrons are asked to "pay what they feel" the meal, service and beverages are worth by contributing an amount of their choice into a box at the counter. The Abbotsford and St. Kilda locations initially faced large financial debt due to mismanagement and other factors, many of which have since been resolved.
In 2010, The Naked Lentil, a documentary on the restaurant and its founder Shanaka Fernando, was aired by SBS.