Those of us who live or work in the Jeffersontown and St. Matthews areas have, for months now, been able to experience the bliss that is having a Panera Bread sandwich and soup delivered right to our door or desk. I am one of those people, and let me tell you, it has had a deep and positive impact on my life since day one.
Now, Louisville is lucky enough that this model, originally something of a test, is spreading across the city. Louisville will become the first city in which Panera Bread will be offering delivery from all of its locations, servicing about 55 percent of residential areas and 80 percent of businesses.
"This is the first time in Panera's history when we've said, we're going to deliver to everyone that's within a radius of our cafes," said Panera's Executive Vice President Blaine Hurst.
So why Louisville? Hurst was formerly the vice-chairman and president of Papa John’s, giving him a unique view of the city’s pulse and economic ecosystem. Louisville is a perfect test town for this service.
While this completely changes the game on food delivery, those who live downtown are going to have to survive with the old staples for a while. Panera’s delivery service won’t be available downtown until July 2015.
Like all good things, it’s worth the wait.
Photo courtesy of Panera Bread.