Panera Bread Partnering with José Andrés in COVID-19 Response

 

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, we’re continuing to look for opportunities to get involved and continue our mission of making good food accessible to everyone. That’s why we’re proud to support chef José Andrés and his humanitarian work to feed the country and mobilize restaurant workers during the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

How Panera Bread is Partnering with World Central Kitchen and Chef José Andrés to Help Communities

It is our belief that good food should be available to all, now more so than ever. During this global health crisis, we are committed to finding the best ways to use our resources and relationship to provide meals to those facing food scarcity.


As a first step to doing what we can to support our communities, we’re partnering with Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen (WCK) to help support its #ChefsForAmerica initiative to provide meals nationwide, starting with the cities facing the most critical demand right now and expanding reach over time. In addition to helping those in need, the WCK is also supporting first responders to help take care of the healthcare professionals who are taking care of us.

 

We are making a financial donation as well as offering our kitchens and resources to provide infrastructure support.

 

We are also teaming up with supply partners and vendors in our supply chain to donate excess food and get it in the hands of people who need it the most. We all need each other right now, and what better way to work together than to feed the country in this time of need?   

 

If you are looking to get involved, we invite you to join us in this mission by donating to World Central Kitchen, Feeding America, or your local food bank—every little bit helps.

 

 

What Else is Panera Bread Doing to Help During COVID-19?  

 

In addition to partnering with WCK, we have taken the following steps in response to the current crisis.

 

Taking Care of Our Panera Associates

We have implemented an emergency paid sick time policy to ensure our associates are able to stay at home if they become sick or are diagnosed with COVID-19. We have also launched a weekly boxed Panera meal for company associates in cafes directly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. If you are a Panera, LLC associate and want to learn more about what we’re doing as we respond to this situation, you can find that information here.

 

Friends in Knead Grants

Panera LLC has made a $500,000 donation to Friends in Knead, our non-profit organization that is funded primarily by voluntary donations from Panera associates that provided critically needed support and assistance to members of our associate community faced with hardship.

 

Day-End Dough-Nation

At the end of each day, our bakery-cafes package unsold bread and baked goods to donate to local hunger relief and charitable organizations. In bakery-cafes where our partners are no longer able to accept donations, we are donating the items directly to our associates and their families.

 

Partnering with USDA & Children’s Hunger Alliance to Provide Meals in Ohio

 

On March 27th, Panera announced a partnership with the Children’s Hunger Alliance (CHA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide freshly-prepared and wholesome meals to children in need in the state of Ohio.

 

In partnership with its local franchise partners, Panera is leveraging its supply chain and bakery-cafes to provide ready-to-eat, freshly-prepared meals to CHA for children vulnerable to hunger across the state during this time of crisis. Panera is also working with the USDA to scale this model with other states across the nation.

 

“At Panera, we believe that good food should be accessible to all.  This belief is central to our culture and our mission,” said Niren Chaudhary, Panera CEO.  “Today, more than ever, it is clear to us that access to nutritious food is an undeniable right – especially to those most vulnerable such as children during this time of crisis.  We are grateful for the opportunity to support our 
communities.”

 

Continuing to Serve Our Customers with Delivery, Curbside Pick-up, Mindful Packaging & Grocery Delivery

 

You are still able to order your Panera favorites in the way that makes you most comfortable, including Delivery, Drive-Up, or Drive-Thru (where available). We have begun sealing our to-go bags with a sticker to further protect your meal. We have also expanded our offering to essential grocery items like gallons of milk, a variety of breads, yogurt, and fresh produce to make it easier to stay home and limit your trips to the grocery store.

 

For a limited time, we’re also waiving our delivery fee with the promo code FREEDELIVERY.  To order Panera Grocery and your favorite menu items, start your delivery order online.

 

Together Without Hunger – Partnering with Feeding America & DKMS to Feed Families

 

In the midst of COVID-19, millions of people don’t have the access they need to clean, healthy food. We’re partnering with DKMS and Feeding America food banks to use Panera Kitchens to distribute up to 500,000 meals to families in the U.S. Just $3 helps put food on the table for children and families in need.*

 

The Feeding America food banks network is the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the country and we’re proud to partner with them during this difficult time.

 

You can help too by joining  our #SeeAPlateFillAPlate challenge on Instagram.

 

Head over to https://getinvolved.dkms.org/campaign/togetherwithouthunger/c280354. Donate $3 to provide a meal for a family in need. Decorate a plat and post with #SeeAPlateFillAPlate. Nominate 5 of your friends to do the same and share to your Instagram story.

 

About World Central Kitchen and #ChefsForAmerica

 

When disaster hits, you can expect José Andrés and his non-profit food organization, World Central Kitchen, to quickly follow. Whether it is serving food in Puerto Rico after a hurricane or a cholera-stricken Mozambique, World Central Kitchen mobilizes to prepare critical food for devastated communities.

 

The COVID-19 crisis has severely impacted all facets of the food industry. It has also created more barriers to reliable food access for our most vulnerable populations in their effort to secure healthy meals.

 

World Central Kitchen through the Chefs for America initiative is working tirelessly to provide for communities in this unprecedented time. Here are the main ways they’re making an impact:

 

1. Delivering Fresh Meals – since launching #ChefsForAmerica, WCK has already served more than 750,000 meals to vulnerable communities and is continuously working to expand its efforts to support selfless healthcare workers, at-risk elderly populations who can’t leave their homes, and families facing food scarcity.

 

2. Partnering with Restaurants – As restaurants and their employees face challenges, #ChefsForAmerica is leading an evolving coalition of restaurants and tech companies to scale a national effort to provide meals to people in need.

 

3. Feeding Healthcare Workers – World Central Kitchen has partnered with Frontline Foods, Off Their Plate, Feed the Frontline in Los Angeles, and East Bay FeedER, to provide hot meals to healthcare providers working in wartime-like conditions.

 

4. Mapping Food Delivery Efforts – WCK is working to map out every school district, restaurant, and organization offering free meals right now so that people can know where these meals are available and what needs to be done to address gaps.

 

Founder José Andrés, also published his call to mobilize restaurant workers to feed the country and avoid a humanitarian crisis in a New York Times op-ed.  You can read that article to get more information on his America Eats Now plan that mutually supports the food industry, its workers, and those in need.

 

 

About Chef José Andrés  

 

Chef José Andrés is one of America’s most well-known and celebrated chefs. He has received the industry's highest honors, including being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2018. As the owner and president of ThinkFoodGroup, he runs more than 30 popular restaurants including, locations in Washington, D.C., California, and New York. In 2010 he founded the non-profit organization World Central Kitchen to provide meals in the aftermath of natural disasters. The organization has ambitious goals and is determined to address hunger and poverty in smart and empathetic ways. In 2019 José Andrés was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.

 

For more information on Chef José Andrés’ work and what he’s doing to provide relief during the COVID-19 crisis, you can visit the World Central Kitchen website and read this recent article from Time Magazine.