More significantly, however, the company expects a “significant” increase in transactions. “Dinner in general usually carries a larger check, but we anticipate unlocking both check and traffic,” Wegiel said. The daypart tends to generate larger groups than its breakfast and lunch counterparts, for example. “Through ingredients, sourcing and the items themselves and how they’re composed, I believe we achieved that and stayed competitive from price standpoint.”īecause it’s kept those “price ladders” consistent with its core business, Panera expects quite a tailwind from dinner. “When we went into this, we had a very keen focus to not introduce products that forced our price ladder too high,” he said. The menu items are priced in line with Panera’s price points as well, and Wegiel credits the chain’s culinary and sourcing teams for keeping food costs in check, particularly while touting protein-heavy items like the toasted pastrami sandwich. These dinner items are an extension of our core and we’re leveraging what I believe is the best culinary heritage and pantry in the space.” “Also, there weren’t too many (stock keeping units) added. The flavors are intentional so that it still feels like Panera. “That’s why we test, to make sure we can work through any operational things that shore up,” said Sara Burnett, vice president of wellness and food policy. Further, Panera’s new dinner choices don’t stray too far from its core menu offerings, so operational complexities in the back of the house are expected to be minimal. From a labor perspective, the company anticipates some staffing additions for prep and production, but nothing major.
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