Mangia! Italian eatery in Texas puts out ‘pay-what-you-will’ menu

The customer is always right in Texas — at least once a week.

A trendy Italian restaurant is serving up a generous new promotion that turns every Tuesday into a “Pay What You Will” day, letting cash-strapped diners decide how much dough they’re willing to fork over.

L’Oca d’Oro co-owners Adam Orman and Fiore Tedesco III introduced the unique pay model, officially dubbed “PWYW,” at their hotspot in Austin.

The weekly special is a dining experience designed to bring more Austinites to the table, regardless of whether their budgets are full service or al dente, according to the restaurant’s website.

The owners hope the promo will help locals swallow the sting of inflation and rising food costs while still savoring a restaurant-quality night out, said local outlet KUT Austin.

“We want to make a fabulous L’Oca d’Oro experience accessible to anyone in Austin,” the restaurant’s website said.

From 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, lucky guests can dig into dishes ranging from wagyu brisket and heritage pork meatballs to tiramisu and cannolis.

Pasta lovers can also twirl their forks into fresh-made favorites alongside focaccia and mozzarella.

“At the end of the meal, diners will receive their actual check but are invited to write in the amount they’d like to pay for food,” the website explains, although drinks aren’t included in the offer.

And the idea appears to be paying off. Some customers have volunteered to pay more than their bill to help cover diners who pay less.

“If a guest wants to pay more than the cost of the meal to help subsidize folks who choose to pay less, they are welcome to do that,” the website said.

“We know there are so many people in Austin — hospitality workers, teachers, healthcare workers — who help make this city great but can’t always afford to eat out at places like L’Oca d’Oro,” Orman said in a statement tied to the restaurant’s GoFundMe campaign.

“We don’t like that. So we’re creating one night a week when everyone can enjoy the full L’Oca d’Oro experience on their own terms.”

So eat up — kindness is always on the menu.