Case Study - Panera | Creative Realities

The challenge

Panera responded to a market need to reduce and curate the number of items sold on their menus – irrespective of where the menu appeared across the site:

The biggest challenge for Panera was displaying a new menu in a way that was clear to fans and loyalists – those familiar with the menu
Present the new menu items a beautiful clear way that still allowed for an easy, effortless journey
Ensure the back-of-house had zero pain points in front of house so the integration of menu, to kiosks, to pick up screen – all had to work together thematically
How do we curate and carry over the lunch and dinner experiences from the interior menu board presentation, over to the outdoor, moving from 7 screens to a 3 screen solution

The solution

Our understanding of custom solutions helped Panera modernize the digital menu board form factors and functionality. By understanding Panera’s operational systems and technology and strategizing around their specific requirements, we’re able to create a tailored solution that seamlessly integrated with the company's existing framework.

Our purpose-built CMS Platform for food & beverage is packed with functionality that allows us to create a set of connected omni-channel menu board, kiosk, drive through, pre-order and mobile ordering pick up ‘stations’ on site – all coordinated and operating in unison [order confirmation, cross sell and upsell]

Leverages next-generation tools to showcase the power of personalization and customer recognition
Highlight key content elements that resonate most with customers
Deploy visually engaging screens focused on enticing the upsell while ordering occurs at a kiosk

The technology further supports employees with automated updates to facilitate transitions for seasonal changes and real-time inventory tracking. These integrations allow employees to fully concentrate on their respective tasks, leading to increased accuracy, minimized technological interruptions and a greater ability to acknowledge and attend to customers – ultimately creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for guests to enjoy.

The results

Panera has benefitted from positive press around menu changes – despite the menu being reduced
The strength and power of order confirmation, cross sell and upsell efforts further reinforced and substantiated the expense of digital investment vs more traditional light box solutions
We’ve become a routine trusted advisor when it comes to Panera relying on our digital prowess to solve a variety of operational and guest service challenges for the brand – thus, our engagement continues to expand