Panera Bread Unveils National Delivery Service
Panera Bread has announced the expansion of Panera delivery to fans across the US, with the service now available in 897 cities and 43 states nationwide.
Panera delivery is available for lunch and dinner to offices, hospitals, college campuses and to your door at home in participating markets. The service is entirely digital via the Panera app or website, and meets pent-up consumer demand for clean options. Panera is celebrating the service’s national expansion with a one-day giveaway of its best-selling product with delivery orders so guests can enjoy their favorites at home, or in the workplace.
Blaine Hurst, Panera CEO, says: “Panera delivery isn’t a pilot program. It’s not in just a few test markets. We now offer delivery across the country. Delivery is fueling our next phase of growth, and the success we have seen so far is exciting. The combination of providing clean food options via an entirely digital experience is giving us a real advantage, and the momentum is just beginning.”
Panera aims to employ its own delivery drivers in every market, which contributes to the company’s ability to scale and expand its delivery business. By the end of 2017, Panera had hired more than 10,000 drivers and associates system-wide to accommodate the increase in orders in both company and franchised markets across the U.S. As of today, delivery has helped create more than 13,000 jobs since it launched.
Delivery is helping to drive growing digital sales at Panera, which consist of online, app and kiosk orders and currently represent 30% of total company sales. An entirely digital experience, Panera delivery can generally be ordered from most areas within an eight-minute drive time of a participating bakery-café. Most delivery cafés will deliver between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week, for as little as a USD5 menu purchase, excluding tax, plus a USD3 delivery fee in the majority of markets.
Panera began rolling out delivery in 2016, and the service has proven to be a mass-market opportunity, driving consistent sales lifts and growth. By seamlessly integrating delivery orders with the company’s loyalty program – MyPanera—guests are able to save their favorites, earn and track rewards, and receive one-to-one tailored content.