Food & Beverage

In Face of Restaurant Closures, Panera Bread, Dig and More Add Grocery Staples to Menus

Bread, butter, and eggs are all available as brands try to stay engaged with consumers—and keep the lights on

"When you go into a pandemic like this, you have to continually reevaluate what you're doing," said Chris Hollander, Panera Bread's vp of marketing.Panera Bread

By Ryan Barwick

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For many, a trip to the grocery store—formerly routine, carried out mindlessly—has become an anxiety-inducing experience due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Shoppers are concerned about maintaining social distance in crowded aisles and whether those cans of peas have been properly disinfected. That’s if they can find what they need, as panic buyers have left many shelves empty.

As Panera Bread struggles, like all restaurants, with less revenue as people quarantine, it has come up with a solution.