Last Updated on March 20, 2026 by Craig Allen Keefner
The change began last year, and is currently being rolled out across all its 1,800 U.S. restaurants—and boosts sales and traffic so much that Panera has to invest 35 more hours a week in labor for each upgraded cafe..
Source: www.fastcompany.com
The core of Panera 2.0 happens in one of two places: either on the Panera app on a customer’s own mobile device, or at a kiosk of tablets in the restaurant. On the app, to-go users can place a mobile order up to five days in advance and pick up food from a separate shelf in the restaurant, thereby skipping the line. Or dine-in users can order on their phone from their table (or at the kiosk), and food will be delivered to them.
