Paying it forward in a cafe?

[NewMatress]

There's a cafe/ take away place here where you can buy an extra drink or a sandwich and they leave a note on a board where someone in need can take it and get a "free" drink.

A lovely idea and very popular with well meaning buyers, the board always has lots available.

I'm just wondering if people actually take it up? Go to the board, take a note and ask for the free food/drink or if, perhaps, it's a way of increasing the takings for the cafe and the offers never get taken up.

Apologies if this is over cynical, I'm sure the scheme started from a good place but I've seen lots of people donate and no one take it up. Although, I accept the receiving is probably done more discretely than the giving.

Does anyone have experience of how these schemes operate in practice?

I think it's a lovely idea, and my observation is yes, people use it.

However also my observation from talking to people, the people who really need and deserve it are often too embarrassed to use it, which is really sad.

I've always wondered this too Op. I wonder who takes them up.

A local cafe ( sadly i think it closed) used to do this

But it gave people the drinks etc, they didn’t have to ask

So mum struggling with children got the drinks, or elderly man etc

A coffee shop in my local town does this and I like to put a couple of £ in when I go. They definitely do give a sandwich and a hot drink to anyone in need.
It's not done showily, more a word of mouth thing from what I understand and someone just has to ask.
I think it's a lovely idea and makes the giver feel good to know you're helping a little bit.