Panera Opens New Panera To Go Restaurant for Online Orders Only

Panera opens their first "Panera To Go" restaurant in Chicago as the first of three test restaurants that occupy a smaller footprint, while only servicing digital orders from their website or mobile app.

Panera to Go is meant to accommodate more densely populated urban areas where it would be more difficult to fit a full-sized Panera bakery-cafe.

The new concept currently only takes digitally-placed pick-up and delivery orders. It does not offer any guest seating but includes a shelf for customers and delivery drivers to conveniently pick up orders. The chain also plans on looking into offering kiosk and catering orders with the Panera to Go concept in the future.

Panera plans to open two more Panera to Go locations (one in California and one in Washington DC later this year).

Photo via Panera.