ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-based fast casual restaurant chain Panera Bread, also known locally as Saint Louis Bread Co., has announced plans for its next-generation bakery-café that will emphasize digital capabilities and drive-thru access.
The new concept, officials said in a release, builds off the company’s innovation in technology and the delivery, drive-thru and pick-up channels. However, dine-in customers are not being forgotten with the next-generation store featuring comfortable seating around a fireplace in a vibrant environment with new wayfinding and décor.
Panera’s first redesigned café will open in November in Ballwin and feature these updates:
- Craft bakery experience – Each night, bakers in every Panera bake bread and bakery items fresh. Now, Panera is moving the bakery-cafe ovens to be in full view of the guests to enhance the experience.
- Dual drive-thru with dedicated pick-up lane – Panera will significantly increase its locations with drive-thru and the new concept features a double-lane drive thru, with one lane dedicated specifically to the company's pick-up service.
- Enhanced digital experience – The redesigned concept will feature new digital innovations including contactless dine-in and delivery, updated ordering kiosks, automatic loyalty identification, and a fully digitized menu both in-cafe and in drive-thru.
- Contactless ordering – This new service will allow guests who choose a fully contactless experience to order their meal from their own phone for dine-in, pick-up, drive-thru or delivery. Once the order is made, guests are notified via mobile notifications when their food is ready, minimizing interactions with staff members.
- Refreshed brand – The next-generation bakery-cafes will introduce an updated Panera Bread logo and brand, unveiled in 2021. The refreshed Panera "Mother Bread" logo is a nod to Panera Bread's more than 30-year-old sourdough starter from which all of its sourdough bread is still made today.
- Intuitive guest journey – A core focus of the next-generation design has been improving the guest journey and making it more intuitive. This includes deploying clear and concise wayfinding on the exterior of the cafe and refining how the guest routes through the cafe after entering the front door – from experiencing our bakery, ordering (either through a traditional register or a digital kiosk) and picking up their food.
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