ST. LOUIS, September 20, 2023 – Today, Panera Bread announced the introduction of Crunch Time Ordering: the ultimate one-swipe ordering option on the Panera app. Panera knows that many of its guests are always on the go and for those stressful, busy moments where mealtimes creep up on them, Crunch Time Ordering is there to solve their dinnertime dilemma. This new feature is among the first in the industry that allows guests to have their favorite meals pre-programmed to be ordered at a set date and time with just a single swipe.

The new, free feature was designed to remove the thinking and unnecessary steps out of dinner crunch time and is available exclusively for MyPanera® members on the Panera iOS app. By simply swiping once on the Panera app, customers can quickly place their favorite stored Crunch Time order for pickup or delivery. Whether in a rush during their lunch break or trying to have a family meal in between school and soccer practice, Crunch Time Ordering is here to ensure that customers can order their Panera favorites quickly and easily.

With the Panera app, customers have the added benefit of personalized recommendations tailored to their preferences and when they are pressed for time. The integration of Crunch Time Ordering into the Panera app allows customers to choose the Crunch Time that makes sense for their individual schedule, ensuring that their orders are prepared and ready when they need them.

How it works:

• Favorite your go-to meals: Add your regular Panera order as a favorite in the IOS app – just select your favorite soup, salad, sandwich, Value Duet or You Pick 2® combo – or even new Stacked Toasted Baguettes.
• Schedule and select your “Crunch Time”: Panera will remind you to place your order at the busiest times in your schedule.
• Swipe, eat, enjoy, repeat: When you receive the notification, you can solve Crunch Time with one swipe in the app and have your Panera meal prepared for pickup or delivery when you need it most.

"We are thrilled to introduce Crunch Time Ordering as the ultimate one-swipe ordering option on the Panera app," said Meenakshi Nagarajan, Chief Digital Officer, Panera Bread. "Our guests lead busy lives and need convenience more than ever. They have always been able to rely on Panera for delicious food made with great ingredients, and now we have their backs when they need to quickly and easily have dinner handled between meetings, practices or recitals, or other moments of crunch time in their lives.”

Looking for a new go-to order?  Try new Stacked Toasted Baguettes

Panera has recently launched an extension to their popular Toasted Baguette sandwich platform – Stacked Toasted Baguettes. Now with added protein with the addition of smoked, pulled chicken, Stacked Toasted Baguettes are another hearty option packed with generous flavor on top of Panera’s signature French Baguette. Stacked Toasted Baguettes are available in three varieties, including the Chicken & Pepperoni Mozzarella Melt, Chicken Green Goddess Caprese Melt and the Chicken Cordon Bleu Melt.

To join MyPanera and set up your Crunch Time order today, download the Panera app or visit PaneraBread.com for more information.

About Panera Bread

Panera Bread opened in 1987 as a community bakery, founded with a secret sourdough starter and a belief that sharing great bread is an expression of warmth and generosity. That vision holds true today with a robust menu of delicious, chef-curated recipes created with a simple principle: The Familiar, Made Fantastic™. At Panera, we serve food that we are proud to serve our own families, made with responsibly raised proteins and freshly prepared with Clean ingredients--food that does not contain the artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources set forth on our No-No list served in U.S.  bakery-cafes. From crave-worthy soups, salads and sandwiches to flatbread pizza and sweets, we offer our guests more than great food. Our ethos of generosity drives us to meet our guests where they are through technology and through our shared values. We are stewards of our communities and the planet — with programs like Day-End Dough-Nation® that donates unsold baked goods in the evening to local non-profits, or labeling climate-friendly low carbon Cool Food Meals

As of August 29, 2023 there were 2,131 bakery-cafes, company and franchise, in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast casual restaurant companies in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) Instagram (@panerabread) or TikTok (@panerabread).

Media Contacts:

ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

panera@abmc-us.com