Panera announced today that MyPanera members can order via Alexa on Echo Show devices.
Ordering with Alexa allows members to order without having to open the Panera app. With this feature, users can ask Alexa to order items for pick-up or delivery, and the order will be completed. Users will need to have an Echo Show device, a stored payment method, and if ordering delivery, a stored address.
“While our guests love the Panera app, we know there are times where it’s just more convenient to be hands-free and order by voice, and we are thrilled to work with Amazon to design and offer another convenient way to order Panera,” said George Hanson, chief digital officer for Panera, in a statement. “We’re continuing to push the boundaries of what we can do to make our MyPanera members’ lives easier, and we’re just at the beginning of what is possible in the world of conversational commerce.”
To make this service possible, Panera worked with Amazon to enable Alexa to learn the Panera menu.
“Ordering with Alexa gives customers an easy and natural way to connect with their favorite restaurants at-home,” said Mark Yoshitake, general manager and director of Alexa Skills, in a statement. “Panera is the first to use our updated Alexa Food Skills API which incorporates state-of the-art techniques in conversational AI to make the ordering process through Alexa more intuitive.”
Both companies recently collaborated to roll out Amazon One to select locations in St. Louis with plans to expand to additional locations. The technology is a membership verification and payment tool allowing users to access their loyalty account using the palm of their hand.
Related: Panera Bread to Leverage Amazon One; Amazon Plans 9,000 Layoffs