Panera Bread Partners With American Red Cross To Support Volunteers Who Over-Deliver For Communities Affected By Severe Summer Storms

ST. LOUIS, July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, the American Red Cross responds to more than 62,000 disasters across the country with a largely volunteer corps of people who always over-deliver for others in need.  In fact, volunteers comprise more than 90 percent of the American Red Cross disaster workforce.  As severe weather events such as tornadoes, floods and wildfires typically increase in the summer months, Panera Bread is partnering with the American Red Cross this summer to honor and support volunteers—these "over-deliverers" who do so much for others when disaster strikes.

Missouri, home to Panera's headquarters, has experienced multiple weather disasters in the last year.  As part of the partnership, Panera is pledging a $20,000 in-kind donation to the American Red Cross to help fuel volunteers during training, recovery and relief efforts in its home state of Missouri. Panera is also making it easy for customers to join us in supporting the Red Cross nationwide—for every delivery order placed from now through August 2^nd, Panera will donate a portion* of the delivery fee, up to $100,000, to the American Red Cross, to help with disaster relief efforts including foodservice.

"We're proud to partner with the American Red Cross to champion the volunteers who over-deliver for others in their time of need," said Niren Chaudhary, chief executive officer of Panera.  "At Panera, we believe food provides a way for people to connect and come together, whether it's in the immediate wake of a disaster, or as a community recovers."

Donations to Disaster Relief help to power the Red Cross with strong infrastructure, trained volunteers, innovative technology, and critical resources necessary to provide relief and support to those in crisis, as well as to assist communities through the recovery phase. One of the ongoing needs—whether for volunteers or those affected by the weather disasters—is a reliable source of food, and Panera's donation will be allocated toward the American Red Cross' foodservice efforts. Panera will also honor the volunteers by sharing some of their stories on the brand's social media channels.

"Donations from partners like Panera Bread are essential to our ability to immediately assist disaster survivors and support the first responders and volunteers who work tirelessly at the scene of a disaster," said Don Herring, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "These contributions will help to ensure our volunteers are immediately on the ground to help people in need, no matter when or where the disaster occurs."

Donations to Disaster Relief enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. People interested in making a donation directly to the American Red Cross can visit redcross.org.

To learn more, visit www.PaneraBread.com/overdeliverers or order delivery at delivery.PaneraBread.com.

*Panera will donate 30 cents for every delivery order from July 23, 2019 – August 2, 2019, up to $100,000.

About Panera Bread
Thirty years ago, at a time when quick service meant low quality, Panera set out to challenge this expectation. We believed that food that was good and that you could feel good about, served in a warm and welcoming environment by people who cared, could bring out the best in all of us. To us, that is food as it should be and that is why we exist.

So we began with a simple commitment: to bake bread fresh every day in our bakery-cafes. No short cuts, just bakers with simple ingredients and hot ovens. Each night, any unsold bread and baked goods were shared with neighbors in need.

These traditions carry on today, as we have continued to find ways to be an ally for wellness to our guests. That means crafting a menu of soups, salads and sandwiches that we are proud to feed our families. Like poultry and pork raised without antibiotics on our salads and sandwiches. A commitment to transparency and options that empower our guests to eat the way they want. Seasonal flavors and whole grains. And a commitment to removing or not using artificial additives (preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources on our No No list) in the food in our bakery-cafes. Why? Because we think that simpler is better and we believe in serving food as it should be. Because when you don't have to compromise to eat well, all that is left is the joy of eating.

We're also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we now offer new ways to enjoy your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering and Rapid Pick-up® for to-go orders and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests. As a result, Panera has been one of the most successful restaurant companies in history. What started as one 400-square-foot cookie store in Boston has grown into a company with more than 2,300 units, nearly $6 billion in system-wide sales, and over 100,000 associates.

In late 2017, Panera acquired Au Bon Pain Holding Co. Inc., parent company of the 234-unit Au Bon Pain bakery-café chain. The acquisition reunites Panera and Au Bon Pain and will intensify Panera's growth in new real estate channels, including hospitals, universities and transportation centers.

As of June 25, 2019, there were 2,143 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread).

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE Panera Bread

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