Exclusive: Panera Alters Internal Operations Due to Misuse of ‘Free Drinks’

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Some Stores Abandon Cup Displays Near Kiosks Due to Increased Freeloading Customers

By Yeongjoo Park(yjpark@kakao.com)
Published on Feburary 15. 2024. THU at 6:34 AM CST

Panera, popular for its year-round discount events, has implemented changes in response to customers taking advantage of free drinks.

They removed various cup options displayed near the kiosks, instructing customers to pick up cups at the designated area after placing their orders. While it’s unclear if this change is company-wide, some stores, like the Buffalo Grove location, have already adopted it.

The shift aims to streamline the process, and at certain locations, an announcement guides customers to collect cups at the pickup corner after ordering through the kiosk.

Panera’s ‘Unlimited Sip Club,’ a flagship marketing product, allows customers to enjoy specified drinks daily for $11.99 per month, with occasional promotions making it even more cost-effective.

The Panera kiosks allow anyone to enter a phone number or email to get free drinks, leading to frequent ‘account sharing.’ While convenient, this operation method has the potential for abuse.

Some customers find it inconvenient as they now have to go through an extra step. A Northbrook resident shared the experience of finding no cups at the store, learning that the policy changed due to too many customers abusing the free drink system.

This shift may impact regular members, as witnessed by fewer elderly customers in the morning, suggesting that the requirement to personally pick up cups has deterred those who used to enjoy free drinks.

The desire for free items is universal, whether for Korean or American individuals.

This change in Panera’s approach brings to mind a McDonald’s branch that restricted the stay time to 2 hours due to Korean senior citizens.

*You can read the Korean version of this article here.