Panera and Subway push forward amid the Coronavirus outbreak. Both companies realize the current state of the restaurant industry right now, and have made creative plans to utilize their stores and products to help out consumers.
Panera recently launched a service for consumers to buy produce and pantry items, along with their normal menu items. The service, Panera Grocery, is selling a variety of products including breads, dairy items, fruit and more. Panera Grocery can be ordered via the app or their website and is available for contactless delivery.
“It’s a win for our associates because we will be able to keep our cafes open longer, and it’s great from a business standpoint because it should be incremental profit and revenue for us at a time when we desperately need it,” said Panera Chief Executive Officer, Niren Chaudhary.
Subway is currently taking a similar approach, testing out 100 of their restaurants in Southern California and using them as makeshift grocery stores. The sandwich chain is offering items such as meats, breads, cheeses, veggies, frozen soups, some bulk items and more. The Subway Grocery service is offered for curbside pick-up and delivery in select locations.
The Subway Grocery menu also features a “First Responder Subs” program. This allows consumers to donate sandwiches with their grocery orders to local workers on the frontlines as a way to thank them for their service.
Source: Panera, Subway Sell Groceries – 4/8/20, Subway Grocery – 4/7/20
Photo Credit: Panera, Subway Sell Groceries – 4/8/20, Subway Grocery – 4/7/20
—
About Panera Bread
Panera is 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 PickUp, 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. In more than 25 years as a publicly traded company, Panera has created significant shareholder value. In late 2017, Panera acquired Au Bon Pain Holding Co. Inc., parent company of the 304-unit Au Bon Pain bakery-cafe chain. The acquisition reunites Panera and Au Bon Pain, both of which were founded by Ron Shaich, and will intensify Panera’s growth in new real estate channels, including hospitals, universities and transportation centers. As of September 25, 2018, there were 2,097 bakery-cafes in 47 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. or Paradise Bakery & Cafe names. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread).
About Subway Restaurants
The Subway restaurant chain continues to evolve the dining experience, offering guests in more than 100 countries quality ingredients, as well as robust flavor combinations with nearly 7 million made-to-order sandwiches created each day. The Subway brand provides an alternative to traditional fast food offering guests billions of sandwich, salad and wrap combinations. All Subway restaurants are owned and operated by almost 21,000 franchise owners who employ hundreds of thousands of people globally. Franchise owners and the company are committed to eliminating hunger by supporting hunger relief programs around the world. The Subway experience is also delivered online at Subway.com, through Subway.com/Delivers, and the Subway App.
