Panera Bread opens new bakery-cafe in Mundelein with drive-thru, rapid pickup
Panera Bread will open its newest bakery-cafe in Mundelein from 1575 S. Lake St. at routes 60 and 45 on Tuesday, May 9 at 6 a.m.
On opening day, the first 20 dine-in and drive-through guests with any purchase will receive a certificate to receive a loaf of bread every month for a year. (One certificate per party or vehicle.) The next 25 dine-in and drive-through guests with any purchase will receive a reusable Panera coffee cup.
“We are thrilled about the opening of our 39th bakery-café in Chicagoland. We look forward to engaging with guests from the Mundelein community and sharing our great products and our Panera warmth at our newest location,” said Mike Hamra, CEO & president of Hamra Enterprises, a Panera Bread franchisee in Chicagoland since 1998.
The Panera Experience
For eat-in guests, the bakery-cafe offers a warm and welcoming environment including various seating areas, comfortable chairs, free Wi-Fi internet access, and an outdoor patio.
This new bakery-cafe also offers Fast Lane Kiosks, in addition to cashier stations, so that wait time is reduced for all guests. The kiosk is highly visual and includes a product builder to assist with order accuracy and customization. At the kiosks, and through the Panera web or mobile app, guests can save customizations, past orders, and “favorites” for easy ordering on their next visit. They can also redeem MyPanera rewards and securely save their credit card information for future quick checkouts.
For those on the go, an ordering option called Rapid Pick-Up will enable customers to place an online/mobile order from their office, car, work or home — up to 2 weeks in advance — and pick up their food at a predetermined time without waiting in line. The bakery-cafe will be equipped with a special “to go” pickup area, featuring dedicated seating, an order-status monitor providing real-time information as orders are prepared and completed, and shelf space, all to facilitate easy pickup.
The entire Panera Bread menu also will be available to order through the bakery-cafe's drive-through window during regular hours of operation.
Food as it should be
Panera Bread began with a simple commitment: to bake fresh bread every day in our bakery-cafes. That commitment led to others, like the early decision to remove artificial trans-fats, post calories on menu boards and invest in serving chicken raised without antibiotics. In 2014, Panera issued a comprehensive Food Policy that expressed its commitments to clean ingredients, menu transparency and having a positive impact on the food system. This included a pledge to remove artificial additives (flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and colors from artificial sources) from the food in its U.S. bakery-cafes by the end of 2016.
Day-End Dough-Nation™ & Panera Gives
Panera Bread has worked to help combat the problem of hunger for 25 years, since it began donating unsold bread and baked goods to local organizations. In 2014, Panera bakery-cafes nationally donated a retail value of approximately $100 million worth of unsold bread and baked goods to help neighbors in need through our Day-End Dough-Nation™ program. Panera also supports local charitable organizations through Panera Gives by donating a certificate or fresh bakery products.
Hours of Operation
The hours of operation for Panera Bread at the 1575 S. Lake St. are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For information, call Panera Bread at (224) 778-7800.
About Panera Bread
Hamra Enterprises is a Panera Bread franchisee with 39 bakery-cafés in the Greater Chicago area. It is a dynamic organization owned and founded in 1975 by the Hamra family. The company's headquarters is in Springfield, Missouri and includes six companies with over 5,000 employees in five states; Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Texas. Hamra Enterprises is committed to providing the highest quality products and services within the hospitality industry, creating exceptional experiences for people and communities by engaging each of its restaurant neighborhoods through community service, fundraising, and other philanthropic partnerships such as Make-A-Wish of Illinois, Make-A-Wish of Missouri, Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. Additional information is available on www.hamraenterprises.com