Panera Is Expanding Into Cities With Smaller Restaurants

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By Ghuman

Introduction

Panera Bread is a popular bakery-café chain that has been around for over 30 years. Recently, the company has announced that it is expanding into cities with smaller restaurants. This move is part of Panera’s strategy to reach more customers and expand its presence in urban areas. The new restaurants will offer the same menu items as the larger locations, but in a more intimate setting. This expansion will allow Panera to better serve customers in cities where space is limited. It will also provide an opportunity for customers to experience the same quality food and service in a smaller, more convenient setting.

Panera Is Expanding Into Cities With Smaller Restaurants

Panera Bread is expanding its presence in cities across the United States with smaller restaurants. The chain is opening up smaller locations in cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as in smaller cities like Omaha, Nebraska and Des Moines, Iowa.

The smaller restaurants are designed to be more convenient for customers, with a focus on takeout and delivery. The restaurants will have a limited menu, with only a few of the chain’s signature items, such as its mac and cheese and its signature sandwiches.

The smaller restaurants will also have a more limited seating area, with fewer tables and chairs. This is in contrast to the larger restaurants, which often have a full-service dining area.

The move is part of Panera’s strategy to expand its presence in cities across the country. The chain is also looking to expand its delivery service, which is currently available in more than 1,000 cities. The chain is also looking to expand its catering services, which are currently available in more than 500 cities.

The move is part of Panera’s effort to become a more convenient option for customers. The chain is hoping that the smaller restaurants will be more accessible to customers, and that the limited menu will make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for.

The move is also part of Panera’s effort to become a more sustainable business. The chain is looking to reduce its environmental footprint by using more sustainable ingredients and packaging materials.

Panera is hoping that the smaller restaurants will be a success, and that they will help the chain expand its presence in cities across the country. The chain is also hoping that the move will help it become a more convenient option for customers.

The suburbs have long been Panera’s bread and butter. Most of the chain’s locations are typified by large cozy spaces with fireplaces and pushing 4,000 square feet. The casual stores are designed for customers to stay awhile—it isn’t uncommon to see an office-less worker typing away in the corner.

In big cities, however, Panera has not seen this concept work. According to Fast Company, only 100 of the chain’s 2,200 locations are in metropolitan areas, but the company is making strides to change that by opening smaller, leaner locations.

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The company is testing these new concept restaurants in New York City. The first of the smaller restaurants is opening its doors in the Hearst Building today. The unique location will be half the size of a regular Panera and feature limited counter seating instead of cozy nooks and booths. A second small location, dubbed Panera to Go, is slated to open next month in Union Square. It will forego seating altogether, reinforcing the chain’s attempt to attract more customers on the go.

Eduardo Luz, Panera’s Chief Brand & Concept Officer, credited the success of the mobile app with fueling the idea for this smaller concept growth. Despite the comfy, welcoming dining rooms, digital sales now make up half of the purchases, with customers increasingly opting for rapid pick-up, contactless dine-in, and delivery.

The company is also planning to “elevate” its urban restaurant design, stepping away from the homey, bakery feel for a “more streamlined” design with modern art, wood paneling, and an updated color palate.

Panera is betting that the convenience of ordering and proximity to offices and colleges will boost sales to the smaller spots. If these test spots prove profitable, Panera plans to expand them into more cities next year, along with new spots in hospitals and universities. The chain is hoping, according to Luz, to “bring Panera anywhere from suburban cafes with double drive-thrus, to a digital-only Panera To Go and everything in between.”

Panera is no newcomer to different concepts, being one of the first chains to adopt the new trendy kiosks for contactless ordering. It’s also dabbled with artificial intelligence ordering and an automated coffee brewing system. The company’s willingness to experiment and adapt seems to be working as it is now the tenth-largest restaurant chain in the U.S. and appears to only be expanding.

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