News

Panera rolls out nationwide delivery

May 9, 2018

Panera Bread has expanded delivery across the United States with the service now available in 897 cities and 43 states. The service — which is entirely digital via the Panera app or website — meets pent-up consumer demand for clean options, Blaine Hurst, Panera CEO, said in a press release.

"Panera delivery isn't a pilot program. It's not in just a few test markets. We now offer delivery across the country," he said. "Delivery is fueling our next phase of growth, and the success we have seen so far is exciting. The combination of providing clean food options via an entirely digital experience is giving us a real advantage, and the momentum is just beginning."

Panera is celebrating the service's national expansion today by adding a free cup of soup to all delivery orders when guests enter the code "PANERADELIVERS" after placing a cup of soup in their carts

Delivery creates more than 13,000 jobs
Panera aims to employ its own delivery drivers in every market, which contributes to the company's ability to scale and expand its delivery business, according to the release. By the end of 2017, Panera had hired more than 10,000 drivers and associates system-wide to accommodate the increase in orders in both company and franchised markets across the U.S. As of today, delivery has helped create more than 13,000 jobs since it launched.

Increasing digital sales
Delivery is helping to drive growing digital sales at Panera, which consist of online, app and kiosk orders and represent 30 percent of total company sales, according to the release. An entirely digital experience, Panera delivery can generally be ordered from most areas within an 8-minute drive time of a participating bakery-cafe. Most cafes will deliver between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week, for a $5 menu purchase, excluding tax, plus a $3 delivery fee in the majority of markets. 

Panera began rolling out delivery in 2016.