New Yorkers Can Now Order Panera Bread With Their Alexa
Panera Bread is the land of soups, sandwiches, and salads. It's known far and wide for its creamy mac and cheese, seasonal lobster roll, and wide selection of bread. For a lot of Americans, it can seem like an oasis in a landscape full of burgers and fries. (Whether Panera Bread is a healthy option or not is another matter.) However, just having the choice of a soup or salad instead of something fried is important for a lot of hungry people on their lunch breaks. Everyone has their go-to Panera order, and which Panera menu items are best really depends on who you ask. However, the chain's latest announcement should have any fan excited.
Recently, Panera Bread's ordering experience looked like it might change, but a recent press release shows how far the brand is willing to go to make the process of getting a Chicken Frontega Sandwich that much easier. The chain announced on March 29 that in partnership with Amazon, MyPanera members can place their order simply by talking to their Echo Show device and telling it what they want! No more waiting in line or messing around with apps, just place an order with the same ease as speaking — at least that's the idea.
The hippest way to order?
Who needs the hassle of clicking buttons on a phone or speaking to a human face-to-face? No one wants to deal with that. Now, with the help of an Amazon Echo Show device, you can just say "Mac and cheese!", and your local Panera will get right to work making your food so it's ready when you come to pick it up. At least, that's how we think that should work. The Panera press release notes that users will need a credit card or payment method already saved in their account when making the order and they will have to specifically say "Alexa, order Panera."
As cool as this sounds, we can't help but think about the number of times an Alexa device has misheard something from a person or a television show that this may end up being not as convenient as Panera thinks it'll be. Only time will tell, but here's hoping no one accidentally orders 47 cookies while watching an episode of "Sesame Street" anytime soon.