Panera to spend $42M on mobile app, kiosk ordering

Anybody who has suffered through the 10-minute-long line at Panera Bread Co. (Nasdaq: PNRA) simply for a bagel and coffee can rejoice because the wait may be over.

The St. Louis-based company is sinking $42 million into a mobile app and automated ordering kiosks for each location in an attempt to curtail long lines and boost last year's disappointing third-quarter numbers.

The St. Louis Business Journal reports the technology roll-out includes two components: what the company is calling “Rapid Pick-Up,” which lets customers place to-go orders via a mobile app, and “Enhanced To-Go and Eat-In,” which lets customers order at a kiosk, pick up their order at the counter and eat in the cafe.

Rapid Pick-Up service is already available in 149 locations and will be fully rolled out by the end of the year. The kiosk service is in place at 14 locations and the nationwide rollout will take place in 2015 and 2016.

The St. Louis Business Journal reports the $42 million investment – roughly $125,000 per store – will be split with franchisees and will be spent as follows: $22.5 million on commercial software; $8 million on network security; $6 million in content management; $4.6 million in cafe management software; and $700,000 in consumer support.

Read more from the St. Louis Business Journal.