Panera Bread case study
Case Study Panera Bread
Synopsis
Panera Bread is a casual made-to-order fast food restaurant that offers specialty breads, sandwiches, tossed salads and soups. Established in 1981, with 1,562 company owned and franchised locations, Panera Bread has moved into the forefront of the restaurant business, and has strategically penetrated the market while acquiring a robust amount of loyal customers. Most of the restaurants offer the choice of indoor and outdoor dining. A fireplace inside the restaurant is appealing to many customers during the winter months, of whom are looking for a hot cup of coffee and a place to read their newspaper or book. Coffee, tea, and soda are offered with free refills, and water with lemons is complementary. Indoor tables, free refills, and comfortable tables/chairs make Panera Breads establishment a functional study place for college kids. Every restaurant is well staged with elegant displays of their specialty baked products, making it nearly impossible not to indulge. This fast growing restaurant has maintained a competitive edge due to their appealing interior design, neutral dining environment, fresh baked goods, fresh coffee and tea, made-to-order foods with possible drive-through capabilities, customer rewards card, tables equipped with electrical outlets, and efficient service. Panera Bread establishments, undoubtedly, offer an experience that can only occur at Panera Bread.
Resources
Panera Bread has a driving concept to provide a premium specialty bakery and café experience to urban workers and suburban dwellers.
Attractive & appealing menu
Nationwide leader in the bakery-café segment
High ratings in customer satisfaction studies
Good brand name
Fresh dough operations & sales to franchised stores
Initial success in catering
Good franchisees – higher sales in franchised stores compared to company-owned
Financial strength of the company – able to grow without taking on too much debt
Capabilities
Synopsis
Panera Bread is a casual made-to-order fast food restaurant that offers specialty breads, sandwiches, tossed salads and soups. Established in 1981, with 1,562 company owned and franchised locations, Panera Bread has moved into the forefront of the restaurant business, and has strategically penetrated the market while acquiring a robust amount of loyal customers. Most of the restaurants offer the choice of indoor and outdoor dining. A fireplace inside the restaurant is appealing to many customers during the winter months, of whom are looking for a hot cup of coffee and a place to read their newspaper or book. Coffee, tea, and soda are offered with free refills, and water with lemons is complementary. Indoor tables, free refills, and comfortable tables/chairs make Panera Breads establishment a functional study place for college kids. Every restaurant is well staged with elegant displays of their specialty baked products, making it nearly impossible not to indulge. This fast growing restaurant has maintained a competitive edge due to their appealing interior design, neutral dining environment, fresh baked goods, fresh coffee and tea, made-to-order foods with possible drive-through capabilities, customer rewards card, tables equipped with electrical outlets, and efficient service. Panera Bread establishments, undoubtedly, offer an experience that can only occur at Panera Bread.
Resources
Panera Bread has a driving concept to provide a premium specialty bakery and café experience to urban workers and suburban dwellers.
Attractive & appealing menu
Nationwide leader in the bakery-café segment
High ratings in customer satisfaction studies
Good brand name
Fresh dough operations & sales to franchised stores
Initial success in catering
Good franchisees – higher sales in franchised stores compared to company-owned
Financial strength of the company – able to grow without taking on too much debt
Capabilities
Cited: Wheelen, Thomas L. and J. David Hunger. Strategic Management and Business Policy Toward Global Sustainablity. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2012.