Panera sets out wide delivery spread
Panera Bread customers across the country now have four different on-demand delivery options.
The quick-service restaurant chain is introducing a national delivery offering that includes the third-party DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats platforms, as well as its own app and website. Whether customers order via Panera's apps or through one of its partners, their orders will be delivered to them by Panera's own delivery drivers in most markets.
Panera is now working to connect its MyPanera loyalty program to delivery orders placed through delivery partner sites. In the coming months, customers signed up for MyPanera will be able to earn visit credits toward MyPanera rewards when ordering through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats. Panera and the three partners have also committed to supporting the partnership through marketing efforts in 2019.
Year to date, Panera says its platforms have driven more than 28 million delivery orders, resulting in delivery becoming 7% of Panera's overall sales. Panera customers in certain areas can order through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats from a majority of the 1,600 Panera cafes offering delivery.
"Panera has been a leader in the delivery market as one of the first fast casual concepts to offer its own delivery service,” said Dan Wegiel, executive VP, chief growth and strategy officer at Panera. “Today, through these partnerships, we are pioneering once again by being the first fast casual to launch the ‘bring your own courier’ model nationwide. The most important consideration for Panera is owning the customer experience, and making sure it's a great one. These new partnerships are possible because we already have a fleet of delivery drivers and the infrastructure created to support increased demand. We believe this partnership model helps differentiate us from our competitors and will take our already successful delivery business to new heights."
As of March 26, 2019, Panera Bread operated 2,130 locations in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. banners.