A new kind of Panera restaurant has opened in Chantilly. It’s called Panera to Go and — as the name implies — it focuses on carry out and delivery orders.
The Panera to Go can be found in the Chantilly Crossing shopping center. That’s just south of Route 50 at Lee Road in the same center with the Target and the Costco.
As we reported back in June, the Panera to Go concept is new to the area. There’s no dining room — and while you could theoretically stop and have a coffee or croissant there if you wanted — take away orders and delivery orders are this shop’s bread and butter (pun intended).
There are digital kiosks for ordering on the spot, and digital orders can be placed via an app or the Panera website in advance.
One wall has shelves where fulfilled orders will be waiting. There’s also a screen where the status of orders will be displayed.
Post pandemic and with the rise in delivery services, this new digital version of Panera is part of a new push by the company. The smaller Panera to Go footprint and the fact that fewer staff members are needed to operate it make it an attractive option.