Panera Debuts Grocery Delivery Service
In another example of restaurants and other retail channels getting in on the grocery business amid the coronavirus outbreak, fast-casual restaurant concept Panera has launched Panera Grocery, a service enabling users to buy high-demand pantry items like milk, bread and fresh produce, as well as Panera soups, salads and sandwiches.
Consumers can access the service via the Panera app or website, with contactless delivery, Rapid Pick-Up, Drive-Up and Drive-Thru options available, in addition to contact-free delivery by Chicago-based Grubhub.
“From limited choices on grocery shelves to the growing need to limit the number of trips outside of the home, it is an incredibly stressful time when it comes to putting wholesome food on the table, and we knew Panera could help,” noted Niren Chaudhary, CEO of the St. Louis-based company. “With this new service, we can help deliver good food and fresh ingredients from our pantry to yours, helping provide better access to essential items that are increasingly harder to come by.”
Users select “Panera Grocery” in the Panera app or on the website, or find the “Panera Grocery” items on Grubhub, and add the items to their orders. For MyPanera members, Panera Grocery orders will serve as a visit toward future MyPanera rewards.
Items currently available on Panera Grocery include fresh-baked breads and bagels, milk and yogurt, and fresh produce. As with all of Panera's offerings, Panera Grocery items are free of artificial preservatives, flavors, sweeteners and colors from artificial sources.
Panera Grocery is a separate service operated out of Panera locations. Additionally, Panera at Home retail products, including bread, soups and chilis, dressings and pasta, are available in grocery stores.
Additional steps that the company is taking to safely serve its communities include serving guests via only a to-go model at all locations, drive-up contactless curbside service, contactless delivery, all to-go orders sealed for added protection, and enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures in its bakery-cafes.
There are 2,174 bakery-cafes in 48 states and the Canadian province of Ontario operating under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. names. Other eateries offering grocery delivery services for essential household items include Milford, Conn.-based Subway, whose restaurants are owned by more than 20,000 franchise owners in more than 100 countries, and New York-based Just Salad, which has debuted the Just Grocery program in Manhattan.
