Panera's Business Analysis

Words: 675
Pages: 3

Technology is changing most aspects of every American’s life. Restaurants and food services are no exception. Consumers expect technology to be integral in all parts of their lives, including how they dine and buy food. This experience starts at the first touch or interaction that a consumer has with a restaurant, extends into the ordering experience, and the loop continues with ongoing interactions via points and rewards programs. As part of the consumer’s demand for a premium dining experience delivered by Fast Casual restaurants, technology is a component that these consumers expect during their visit. Convenience delivered via technology is a core component of Panera’s strategy for continuing its leadership in the Fast-Casual restaurant …show more content…
Panera has continued to invest in online and mobile ordering technology. A consumer can place an order via their desktop computer using panerabread.com, or their mobile phone using an app. The app allows the consumer to easily locate their nearby Panera Bread, browse the menu, and customize their order. iPhone users can even pay for their meal using Apple Pay. Customers can then either pickup their order using the rapid pickup portion of the store, or they can have their order delivered in most markets. Those wishing to dine in also have technology options to assist them in their visit. Not only can they consult the Panera menu on the website or mobile app to help them determine their meal before visiting the store, but they can also leverage in-store kiosks to bypass the traditional order counter. The kiosks offer a similar experience as placing an order via the website or mobile app, however it allows a dine-in customer to use the technology for faster service. Panera was also an early adopter of mobile payment technology such as Apple Pay which can also be used at the traditional ordering counter in addition to its mobile …show more content…
This service is a two-fold benefit, offering operational efficiency in the store as well enhancing the customer experience. First generation stores often have significant traffic at the food pickup counter, table delivery reduces this traffic as customers no longer have to retrieve the food themselves. Instead, customers are provided with locator devices that resemble the existing pagers used to notify customers their order is ready. These locator devices tell Panera staff which table a customer is using and their order is delivered directly to the customer. This takes the fast-casual experience to the next level as the customer only has to place their order, the rest is handled by Panera