Panera Bread has launched a brand new characteristic on its app, Crunch Time Ordering, designed to streamline the ordering course of for its prospects. The characteristic permits customers to pre-program their meals to be ordered at a set date and time with a single swipe. This characteristic is among the first within the business to supply such comfort and is obtainable solely for MyPanera members on the Panera iOS app.

The Crunch Time Ordering characteristic is designed to simplify the ordering course of throughout busy durations. By swiping as soon as on the Panera app, prospects can shortly place their favourite saved Crunch Time order for pickup or supply. The characteristic is designed to cater to prospects who’re in a rush throughout lunch breaks or attempting to slot in a household meal amidst a busy schedule.

The Panera app can also be designed to supply personalised suggestions based mostly on prospects’ preferences and time constraints. The integration of Crunch Time Ordering into the Panera app permits prospects to decide on the Crunch Time that fits their particular person schedule, making certain that their orders are ready and prepared after they want them.

The technique of utilizing the characteristic includes favoriting go-to meals, scheduling and choosing a “Crunch Time”, after which swiping to put the order when notified. This characteristic is designed to unravel Crunch Time with one swipe within the app and have the Panera meal ready for pickup or supply when wanted.

Panera Bread’s Chief Digital Officer, Meenakshi Nagarajan, expressed pleasure concerning the introduction of Crunch Time Ordering as the final word one-swipe ordering choice on the Panera app. She highlighted the comfort the characteristic provides to prospects main busy lives.

In addition to the brand new characteristic, Panera has additionally launched an extension to their common Toasted Baguette sandwich platform – Stacked Toasted Baguettes. These new choices include added protein from smoked, pulled rooster and can be found in three varieties.

Panera Bread, which opened in 1987, has grown to function 2,131 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada. The firm is a part of Panera Brands, one of many largest fast-casual restaurant corporations within the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.

The launch of Crunch Time Ordering comes as eating places compete to supply more and more frictionless digital experiences. Panera Bread has been on the forefront of this development, implementing applied sciences equivalent to in-car ordering by means of the car’s dashboard and voice-assistant ordering by means of sensible house gadgets.

The firm has additionally been specializing in bettering the general digital expertise to drive additional engagement. Earlier this 12 months, George Hanson, the restaurant’s then senior vp and chief digital officer, spoke concerning the model’s effort to combine digital applied sciences wherever they might enhance the client journey.

Panera Bread has additionally launched Drive-Thru Pick-Up, combining the benefit of the digital ordering expertise with the comfort of the drive-thru window. Digital gross sales at Panera characterize greater than 50 % of complete system gross sales, and the corporate has regularly invested within the digital visitor expertise, creating new methods to order and obtain meals.

In March of this 12 months, Panera started testing Amazon’s palm-scanning know-how in St. Louis as a sooner method for patrons to hook up with their loyalty program and pay. The firm expanded the take a look at to extra eating places over the subsequent few months, together with some operated by franchisees.

Panera is usually among the many first restaurant chains to check new know-how options, particularly ones aimed toward maximizing effectivity and rising the velocity of orders. Last September, it started testing AI know-how in drive-thru lanes with the goal of bettering and enhancing the visitor expertise.

Last June, Panera opened its first Panera To Go, a brand new restaurant format providing digitally-enabled comfort for pick-up and supply orders. The firm plans to open two further Panera To Go places in California and Washington D.C. this 12 months and also will consider including in kiosk and catering orders to the brand new format sooner or later.

In 2020, the corporate launched “Panera Curbside,” a geofence-enabled service that permits company to have their order delivered on to their automotive. The new restaurant mannequin rolling out nationwide incorporates a twin drive-thru with a devoted pick-up lane amongst different digitally-powered parts.

Recently, the model has been actively testing ghost kitchens, with 5 at the moment operational nationwide and extra deliberate to open this 12 months. The “Panera To Go” idea differs from ghost kitchens in that the brand new format provides a branded front-of-house expertise the place company can shortly choose up digital orders on their very own.

Panera Brands, which oversees chains with greater than 3,800 places, generated $4.8 billion in income in 2022. Panera Bread has 53 million members of its loyalty membership, which account for 51% of gross sales on the chain. In May, the corporate introduced the institution of its subsequent era of CEO management and Board governance in preparation for its eventual IPO.