Panera Bread tests out OpenCity AI tech for bakery cafe drive-thru lanes

Panera Bread has begun testing artificial intelligence technology in drive-thru lanes Stateside.

Panera bakery cafes in the greater Rochester, NY area have implemented OpenCity’s proprietary voice AI ordering technology, called Tori, with the goal of increasing speed of drive-thru orders.

Guests at locations in Greece, NY (800 Greece Ridge Center Dr) and Webster, NY (935 Holt Rd) are the first to experience this offering.

“Improving our guest experience is always our priority and we are using this innovative technology to help enable a faster, more accurate order for each of our drive-thru guests,” says Debbie Roberts, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Panera Bread.

“The potential of AI drive-thru technology is incredibly exciting for us – we are eager to evaluate the performance of these tests and the possibility of expanding this technology in additional bakery cafes.”

In addition to drive-thru, Panera Bread has various other tech powered ordering options including contactless dine-in, curbside, rapid pick-up and delivery.