Food Retailing / Supermarkets

Panera Debuts Next-Gen Concept

New locations will feature dedicated pick-up lane and experiential interiors

Published

3 years ago

June 24, 2021

Panera Debuts Next-Gen Concept — Last year, in response to the Covid pandemic, Panera Bread updated the design of its fast-casual restaurants to include enhanced digital capabilities and more drive-thru access. Photography: Courtesy of Panera

Last year, in response to the Covid pandemic, Panera Bread updated the design of its fast-casual restaurants to include enhanced digital capabilities and more drive-thru access. Photography: Courtesy of Panera

In response to changing consumer behaviors, fast casual restaurant brand Panera Bread (St. Louis) worked with ChangeUp (Dayton, Ohio) to develop a next-gen bakery/café restaurant concept. The new design features enhanced digital capabilities, more personalized options and increased drive-thru access to ultimately deliver a more convenient, intuitive experience to the customer.

“Innovation is core to who we are and with our new next-generation Panera concept, we are doing what we’ve always done – keeping a personalized experience for the guest at the heart of everything we do,” said Eduardo Luz, Chief Brand and Concept Officer, Panera Bread. “We’re doubling down on what has always made Panera unique – creating human connection through caring associates and a warm, inviting environment filled with the smell of freshly-baked bread.”

Despite recent shifts to off-premise dining during the pandemic, Panera will emphasize the dine-in experience also, offering comfortable seating with views of the working bakery ovens for a memorable and immersive experience. Outdoors, dual drive-thrus plus a dedicated Rapid Pick-Up lane paired with digital enhancements like automatic loyalty identification will help on-the-go customers place and receive their orders safely and quickly.