ST. LOUIS, June 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Panera knows that bacon makes everything just a little better—even its perennial guest favorite Mac & Cheese. To celebrate the expansion of its national delivery service, Panera is combining the two culinary sensations and will offer Bacon Mac & Cheese exclusively via delivery for a limited time only. Beginning June 6 and running through June 26, delivery customers can order Mac & Cheese topped with crispy bacon and receive it directly to their homes or offices.
Comment from Blaine Hurst, Panera’s Chief Executive Officer
“Panera delivery gives our guests the option of enjoying our craveable indulgences right in their own home or workplace,” said Blaine Hurst, Panera CEO. “Mac & Cheese is a classic at Panera – an iconic menu item people continue to celebrate. We think bacon makes it even better. For us, there is no better way to extend our Panera warmth from the cafe to the home or office than by combining the two for delivery.”
Fans across Panera’s social channels have called for the pairing for years, imagining what it would be like to taste perfectly cooked pasta drenched in creamy Vermont white cheddar sauce and topped with crunchy, thick-cut bacon. Now, the ultimate comfort food is a reality and available through delivery for a limited time only. Bacon Mac & Cheese, like all of Panera’s offerings, is clean - free of artificial preservatives, flavors, sweeteners and colors from artificial sources.
Bacon Mac & Cheese will be available via delivery through the Panera app and website at participating cafes in the 43 states nationwide where Panera offers delivery. An entirely digital experience, Panera delivery can generally be ordered from most areas within an eight-minute drive time of participating bakery-cafes.
By seamlessly integrating delivery orders with the company’s loyalty program – MyPanera®—members are able to save their favorite menu items and earn and track rewards. During the limited-time Bacon Mac & Cheese offer, MyPanera will surprise select members who are Mac & Cheese fans with MyPanera rewards and tailored content specifically for them. Not a member? Sign up for MyPanera at panerabread.com and get rewarded for just being you.
To find out if Panera delivers in your area, visit delivery.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 (flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and colors from artificial sources) 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 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. Before the JAB acquisition in July 2017, Panera was the best-performing restaurant stock of the past 20 years, delivering a total shareholder return up 86-fold from July 18, 1997, to July 18, 2017, compared to a less than twofold increase for the S&P 500 during the same period.
In late 2017, Panera acquired Au Bon Pain Holding Co. Inc., parent company of the 304-unit Au Bon Pain bakery-café 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 March 27, 2018, there were 2,076 bakery-cafes in 46 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).
Media Contact:
Jonathan Yohannan
jonathan.yohannan@panerabread.com