A Dialogue With Panera’s Eduardo Luz

I just lately spoke with Panera’s new Chief Model and Thought Officer Eduardo Luz, who joined the enterprise in Could appropriate as the 1st Covid wave was enveloping the place. Eduardo delivers a background in method and marketing roles to his new post, with practical experience at brand names from Anheuser Busch – InBev to Unilever and like a prolonged stint as CMO of Kraft Heinz.  

We talked about Eduardo’s early working day learnings at Panera, this kind of as what a collection of new senior management from huge foodstuff companies might necessarily mean to the company’s clean heritage moves into plant-dependent and climate helpful menu offerings and how a maybe stunning pizza addition aligns with the brand’s guarantee. 

Aaron Kwittken: What attracted you to Panera, and what have you been stunned to study in your to start with months at the business? 

Eduardo Luz: Panera has designed considerable contributions to the foods tradition of this region around the a long time, displaying leadership and progressive thinking. Also, I have been observing JAB-owned models for many decades now [JAB Holding owns chains including Panera, Au Bon Pain, and Pret A Manger], and have been amazed by JAB’s keep track of history of developing organizations and brand names. I’m enthusiastic to be a part of Panera CEO Niren Chaudhary and our new leadership staff to support build the next chapter for this brand. I’ve been inspired to find out just how substantially of the well-known “Panera Warmth” is really real. Our associates stay this value each and every day and deeply treatment about our friends and about the brand name.

Kwittken: Loads of new senior administration at Panera come from some of the major makes in the entire world – McDonalds, Pepsi and Coke among the them – that are not connected with healthful food items. Should we count on Panera to get extra resourceful with its food items at the cost of its healthful, clean up legacy? 

Luz: Panera is incredibly very pleased of our Foods Values and will continue on to have a thoroughly clean up pantry that is free of charge of artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavors or colors from synthetic resources. We will leverage this awesome legacy and use our clean up ingredients to produce an irresistible menu shifting ahead, with our chefs and bakers.

Kwittken: You released a products in flatbreads that will contend towards conventional pizza choices, no matter whether mother and pop or the pizza chains. Why? 

Luz: The pandemic has accelerated shopper behavior toward off-premise situations, and we want to make absolutely sure our menu is properly positioned to provide our friends when and how they want. We imagine our new Flatbread Pizzas are really complementary to our current menu. Panera’s bread heritage and excellent ingredients fulfill each the wish for larger top quality, crafted pizza as nicely as this rising buyer off-premise habits.

Kwittken: Pizza and choices like unrestricted membership espresso truly feel distinctive for a company finest recognized for soup, salad and sandwiches. Are these certainly departures for Panera?  

Luz: The frequent thread is being visitor driven. At Panera, we’ve often been about delighting our buyer – anticipating their desires and functioning in the direction of what will make a distinction in their lives. We pay attention what our visitors inform us they crave when it comes to both foods and expertise – and that informs exactly where we consider matters up coming.   

Kwittken: In 2020, Panera began conversing about extra plant-based mostly offerings, and just not too long ago added local climate-welcoming foodstuff. How does that fit with the composition of your recent consumer base? Is the perspective of Panera’s focus on buyer becoming the soccer mom out-of-day? 

Luz: We enjoy soccer mothers! Who, by the way, have been doubling down as property teachers! The existing pandemic is triggering the two new behaviors and new desires that Panera requirements to have an understanding of and get prepared to satisfy. The reality is that Panera is related to a wide vary of company mainly because of the breadth of our menu choices and numerous channels of obtain. 

Kwittken: Panera’s new ads – on Television and on-line – are unique from the previous in conditions of how the meals is portrayed. What’s the intent all-around that?

Luz: Panera is about delightful food stuff that individuals desire to eat – and that they sense excellent about when they do. This is based mostly on our cleanse, fresh substances, crafted by our chefs and bakers, made to delight all the senses. The new adverts reflect this thinking.

Kwittken: At last, what promotion/marketing endeavours are you at present impressed by?

Luz: There’s a lot of terrific do the job out there appropriate now. I’ve generally been an admirer of Nike for their inspiring tone and regularity of concept. A fantastic case in point is the “Nothing Can Cease What We Do Together” spot. A lot more a short while ago, I’ve been impressed with do the job from my buddy and former colleague Michelle St. Jacques at Coors for its cultural relevance and split from group norms.