Panera Bread

Introduction

            Panera Bread is unknown to some people, but for those who have experienced eating at this restaurant, it’s a favorite.  Panera Bread uses specific tactics to earn the trust of the public and definitely did not get to where they are today overnight.  The food chain’s website www.panerabread.com plays a big role in putting their name out there as well.  All of these factors are why Panera Bread is an excellent company to model when attempting a startup company.

Body

      A key reason why Panera Bread is so successful is the tactics they use are all planned.  The company had a vision back in the 1990’s and has been working toward that vision every day.  Being aware of that vision while constantly staying on track is what helps them from expanding too fast or in the wrong area of focus.

      Another determining tactic is the structure of team members.  They employ the best, most dedicated employees from the local level, all the way to the top level executives.  The company even has an architect, or designer, who is responsible for store placement (location, people, and atmosphere).  Paying extra detail to where they open each store plays a huge role in obtaining and maintaining trust with their customers.

      In my opinion, they did an outstanding job with the layout of their website.  When visiting it, I instantly saw and imagined tasting the delicious food they offer.  Everything was easily available to find thanks to their dropdown navigation bar.  I really couldn’t find a reason I didn’t like the site, but if I had to nitpick and find something, I wasn’t too sure of the picture of the dough being prepared without gloves on.  Other than that, the website has everything you’d want from easy navigation to fast loading times.  According to Calvin Sellers, 2013, 94% of people cite design as a reason they do not trust certain websites.  Needless to say, if you’ve never heard of a company and visit their website and encounter a poor design you’ll probably never give them a legitimate chance.

Conclusion

            Panera Bread has grown a significant amount since the idea was first planned out on paper.  Their success is not that of luck, but rather the trust of their customers, as well as an extreme amount of time and effort in finding exactly the right pieces to make the puzzle.  I’m no expert, but Panera Bread seems to be one food chain you will see plenty more of.  I know personally I will make it a point to find a location and give them a try.  Why? Their website.

References

Sellers, C. (2013, September 2). Why Good Website Design is So Important: The Stats and Figures to Prove It [Infographic]. Retrieved May 30, 2015, from http://www.instantshift.com/2013/09/02/importance-of-effective-website-design-infographic/