Panera sizes up catering/delivery market

Hungry for more customers, Panera Bread Co. is making moves to build up its delivery and catering capabilities.

The St. Louis-based fast-casual cafe chain added seven delivery hubs in the first quarter for 28 across the system, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

In a conference call with analysts and investors, Panera CEO and Chairman Ron Shaich positioned the company as having the largest market share in the country for catering deliveries. “But it is still a very tiny slice of the potential market share we can obtain,” he said.

The business journal reports Panera’s large-order delivery hub strategy improves efficiencies at the retail bakery cafes, and small-order deliveries have been tested in a couple of markets.
 
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