Local Contact Name

Liz Fiorino

Covelli Enterprises

6693 Sawmill Road

Dublin, OH 43017

412-310-3323

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COVELLI ENTERPRISES IS FIRST TO OPEN ONE-OF-A-KIND

PANERA BREAD CATERING CENTER IN COLUMBUS

Franchisee Responds to Rapid Growth within Fast-Casual Sector

COLUMBUS, OH, June 18, 2014 – On Tuesday, Covelli Enterprises became the very first Panera Bread franchisee to open a Catering Center, a centralized hub designed to focus solely on the fulfillment of catering orders. The opening of this facility reveals a trend for the company’s growth within the Columbus market and for the future of the fast-casual sector as a whole.

Covelli Enterprises has seen tremendous growth for its Panera Bread restaurants in the Columbus market. The company has already opened two bakery-cafes in 2014 with plans to open several more before the year ends. This growth has also led to an expansion of its catering program, which has now outgrown the capabilities of the traditional Panera Bread café. The Catering Center is the evolution of Panera Bread’s catering program and will allow for continued growth within the market.

On an industry level, the recent boom of fast-casual concepts has challenged restaurants like Panera Bread to innovate to meet the demands of its customer base and remain differentiated from competitors. The company recently shared plans to roll out Panera 2.0 and Rapid Pick Up, programs that utilize technology to improve upon the café experience and make ordering more convenient than ever. This need to evolve is what led Panera Bread to shift catering out of the cafes and into Catering Centers in order to deliver a warmer, more positive customer experience and return the concept to its founding principles.

The Columbus Catering Center is a one-of-a-kind 2,700 sq. ft. facility situated behind the existing Bethel Road Panera Bread location. It has its own dedicated cross-trained production staff, catering specialists and delivery drivers operating in a system to improve all aspects of the ordering process from customer service to order accuracy and on-time delivery. Catering orders for the following cafés will be serviced through the new Catering Center with plans to eventually service more cafés: Bethel Road, Lane Avenue, OSU South Campus Gateway, Grandview, Five Points, Mill Run and Clintonville.

All aspects of the catering ordering process remain the same but with improved customer service and an even better end product. Likewise, the transition of catering out of the individual stores allows for better in-café customer service and attention to operational details.

“We’re thrilled to be the first Panera Bread franchisee to open a Catering Center and proud to do so in our rapidly growing Columbus market,” said Sam Covelli, Owner/Operator of Covelli Enterprises. “We believe the transition will strengthen our relationships with our valued clients and loyal café customers and allow us the opportunity to serve them with even more warmth and attention than ever before.”

About Covelli Enterprises

Covelli Enterprises is the largest franchisee of Panera Bread, LLC with more than 250 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and Canada. www.paneracovelli.com

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