By RTN Employees – 6.10.2022
Panera Bread, which operates 2,118 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada below the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. names, has opened its first “Panera To Go,” a brand new restaurant format providing digitally-enabled comfort for decide up and supply orders. The Chicago-based restaurant is the primary of three so-called “Panera To Go” take a look at places scheduled to open this 12 months.
Panera To Go is a digital-only restaurant with a diminished entrance of home the place prospects and supply drivers can simply decide up orders from devoted decide up and supply cabinets. Designed for densely populated areas that can’t accommodate a dine-in restaurant, the brand new format permits Panera to fulfill the demand in these areas for simple off-premise choices.
As of the tip of 2021, 81% of Panera’s gross sales had been by way of considered one of Panera’s off-premise channels together with supply, decide op, drive via and catering. The Panera To Go entrance of home doesn’t supply any seating and is at present testing supply and decide up on cabinets that prospects and supply drivers can simply entry.
With much less front-of-house duties and simplified operations, Panera To Go employees are solely targeted on assembly the distinctive wants of a visitor on-the-go. Panera plans to open two extra Panera To Go places in California and Washington DC this 12 months, and also will consider including in kiosk and catering orders to the brand new format sooner or later. Based on the corporate, the intention of Panera To Go eating places is to service all dayparts together with breakfast, as relevant.
“We attempt to make it straightforward for our company to entry Panera’s chef-curated menu, in probably the most handy means. Panera To Go creates yet one more entry level for our company, by way of Fast Choose-Up or Supply, in places the place Panera has not traditionally operated,” stated Eduardo Luz, Chief Model & Idea Officer, Panera Bread, in a press assertion.
As of the tip of 2021, 44% of Panera places included a drive-thru, and the corporate has frequently innovated so as to add new entry factors in response to the rising demand for off-premise eating. Panera launched “Fast Choose-Up” nationally in 2016, giving company the comfort to order forward and decide up their ready order on a devoted shelf within the eating room.
In 2020, the Missouri-based firm launched “Panera Curbside,” a geofence-enabled service that enables company to have their order delivered on to their automobile. The brand new restaurant mannequin rolling out nationwide encompasses a twin drive-thru with a devoted pick-up lane amongst different digitally-powered parts.
Lately, the model has been actively testing ghost kitchens, with 5 at present operational nationwide and extra deliberate to open this 12 months. The “Panera To Go” idea differs from ghost kitchens in that the brand new format provides a branded front-of-house expertise the place company can rapidly decide up digital orders on their very own. Ordering and fee for orders can be found on Panera’s digital channels by way of the online or on the Panera app.
In April, Panera introduced that it was evaluating and testing a brand new system is designed to enhance the espresso monitoring course of. The factitious intelligence-powered system is designed to get rid of the necessity for handbook checks of the espresso urns and offering straightforward and correct insights into espresso quantity and temperature. This permits Panera associates to brew a brand new batch in a time-sensitive method in order that espresso stays contemporary and sizzling for company.
The system displays key espresso metrics equivalent to quantity, temperature and time knowledge, and mix these with predictive analytics to ensure a top quality cup of espresso and a extra environment friendly staff member expertise. The system, dubbed CookRight Espresso, was developed by Miso Robotics, recognized for its restaurant robotics and clever automation. The product line is Miso’s latest iteration of their CookRight system and is engineered to evolve because it learns its surroundings and provides new enhancements over time.
“Panera To Go is one other means we will make our company’ lives simpler via digital comfort, which is all the time on the coronary heart of what we do,” stated George Hanson, Chief Digital Officer, Panera Bread, in a press assertion. “We’re already leaders in offering our visitor with an distinctive digital expertise and tailored our digital channels to supply our visitor much more choices within the Panera To Go format.”