Panera Bread Expands Its Delivery Capabilities Through Partnerships With DoorDash, Grubhub And Uber Eats

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Panera Bread today announced the availability of its national delivery service for the first time through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats.  In addition to being able to order from Panera's own app and web site, consumers will now be able to use all three apps to order Panera for lunch or dinner.  Whether customers order via Panera's apps or through one of its partners, their orders will be delivered to them by Panera's own delivery drivers in most markets.  Through these new partnerships, Panera is creating more ways for guests to access their Panera favorites while still ensuring the quality Panera delivery experience the company has honed over the last three years. 

Delivery via the Panera app and ecommerce platforms remains in place and will continue to be a strong point of access, for both new and existing Panera customers.  Year to date, Panera's platforms have driven more than 28 million delivery orders, resulting in delivery becoming 7% of Panera's overall sales. In fact, the "bring your own courier model" is only possible because of the strong infrastructure Panera has established through its own delivery platform.

"Panera has been a leader in the delivery market as one of the first fast casual concepts to offer its own delivery service.  Today, through these partnerships, we are pioneering once again by being the first fast casual to launch the "bring your own courier" model nation-wide," said Dan Wegiel, EVP Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at Panera. "The most important consideration for Panera is owning the guest experience—and making sure it's a great one. These new partnerships are possible because we already have a fleet of delivery drivers and the infrastructure created to support increased demand. We believe this partnership model helps differentiate us from our competitors and will take our already successful delivery business to new heights." 

The delivery industry has continued to see exponential growth, and now, Panera fans in certain areas can order through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats from a majority of the 1,600 Panera cafes offering delivery.

Wegiel added, "These partnerships capitalize on the delivery base we built over the last few years and use an economic model that works for us. More consumers than ever will be able to access Panera with the service-level expectations to which they have grown accustomed – we love that."

Panera is now working to connect the brand's industry-leading loyalty program—MyPanera—to delivery orders placed through the delivery partner sites. In the coming months, customers signed up for the MyPanera program will be able to earn visit credits toward MyPanera rewards when ordering through DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats.  Panera and the three partners have also committed to supporting the partnership through robust marketing efforts in 2019.  

To learn more, or to order Panera for delivery, download the Panera app or visit www.PaneraBread.com.

About Panera Bread Thirty 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 removing or not using artificial additives (preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources on our No No list) in the food in our 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 a result, Panera has been one of the most successful restaurant companies in history. What started as one 400-square-foot cookie store in Boston has grown into a company with more than 2,300 units, nearly $6 billion in system-wide sales, and over 100,000 associates.

As of June 25, 2019, there were 2,143 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread).

About DoorDash

DoorDash is a technology platform that connects customers with their favorite local and national businesses in over 4,000 cities and all 50 states across the United States and Canada. Founded in 2013 by Stanford students Tony Xu, Andy Fang, and Stanley Tang, the company currently reaches 80 percent of U.S. households and has the widest selection of restaurants in the U.S. DoorDash empowers merchants to grow their businesses by offering on-demand delivery, data-driven insights, and better in-store efficiency, providing delightful experiences from door to door. By building the last-mile delivery infrastructure for local cities, DoorDash is bringing communities closer, one doorstep at a time. Read more on the DoorDash blog or at www.doordash.com. 

About Grubhub

Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is the nation's leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as the largest diner base. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub strives to elevate food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub is proud to work with more than 125,000 restaurant partners in over 2,400 U.S. cities and London. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, Tapingo, AllMenus and MenuPages.

About Uber Eat

Uber Eats is an on-demand food delivery app and website that helps bring millions of people around the world the food they want, at the tap of a button. We partner with over 200,000 restaurants in more than 500 markets across 36 countries and six continents to offer meals for every taste and occasion. From specialty local favorites to everyday national brand names, Uber Eats offers millions of dishes while maintaining an average delivery time under 30 minutes.