ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Panera announced it continues to transform the dining experience with the nationwide launch of Contactless Dine-In, a new feature in the Panera Mobile App that allows guests to order their favorite Panera meals on their own devices for plated dine-in service. Now available in most Panera bakery-cafes, Contactless Dine-In helps guests avoid lines or shared devices like kiosks or pagers, and joins Curbside, Drive-Thru, Rapid Pick-Up® and Delivery as one of the many ways guests can order their Panera favorites when they want, how they want them.
Contactless Dine-In ordering is easy and seamless via the Panera app. MyPanera members and guests who have push notifications enabled on the Panera Mobile App will be alerted of this new service as soon as they step into the bakery-cafe. Upon opening the App, guests just need to select the Dine-In option to place a Contactless Dine-In order and the cafe will receive the order. Once ready, the guest receives an email and, if opted in, can also choose to receive a text and/or push notification, and the food is served plated at the Panera pick-up counter. This just-in-time order ready notification allows guests to quickly get their meal, avoiding waiting at the counter.
“Panera is constantly innovating our technology to respond to the ever-shifting needs of our guests, and Contactless Dine-In is a great example; in fact, we sped up the national rollout to provide a solution for today’s guest concerns,” said George Hanson, SVP, Chief Digital Officer, Panera Bread. “Now, guests can avoid lines or shared devices and simply order from a quiet corner of the bakery-cafe. With options like Curbside, RPU, Drive-Thru and now Contactless Dine-In, our guests can order in a way that best suits their needs.”
Contactless Dine-In is ideal for guests who would like to dine in the bakery-cafe, but would prefer to avoid waiting in the cashier line, using the kiosk, or waiting at the order pick-up area. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy new Panera favorites that just launched this month, including the new Thai Chicken Soup and Citrus Asian Crunch Salad, two delicious and flavorful offerings crafted by Panera’s expert chefs and inspired by bold and authentic flavors from around the world.
To learn more, download the Panera app today, or visit www.panerabread.com.
About Panera Bread
30 years ago, at a time when quick service meant low quality, Panera set out to challenge this expectation. We believed that food that was good and that you could feel good about, served in a warm and welcoming environment by people who cared, could bring out the best in all of us. To us, that is food as it should be and that is why we exist.
So, we began with a simple commitment: to bake bread fresh every day in our bakery-cafes. No short cuts, just bakers with simple ingredients and hot ovens. Each night, any unsold bread and baked goods were shared with neighbors in need.
These traditions carry on today, as we have continued to find ways to be an ally for wellness to our guests. That means crafting a menu of soups, salads and sandwiches that we are proud to feed our families. Like poultry and pork raised without antibiotics on our salads and sandwiches. A commitment to transparency and options that empower our guests to eat the way they want. Seasonal flavors and whole grains. And a commitment to not using the artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors set forth on our No-No list in the food in our U.S. bakery-cafes.
Why? Because we think that simpler is better and we believe in serving food as it should be. Because when you don’t have to compromise to eat well, all that is left is the joy of eating.
We’re also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we now offer new ways to enjoy your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering and Rapid Pick-Up® for to-go orders and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests.
As of December 28, 2021, there were 2,118 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the world’s largest fast casual restaurant companies, comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread).