Au Bon Pain to roll out modernized store design companywide in 2023

Dive Brief:

Au Bon Pain unveiled a new design for its bakery-cafes, with plans to roll it out companywide in 2023, according to a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive.
The design includes a self-serve bakery, to-go areas and a new ordering station to make it easier for consumers to get in and out, as well as indoor and outdoor seating.
Since Ampex Brands bought Au Bon Pain in July 2021, the parent company has tried to reposition the cafe chain for growth, expanding in existing markets, with plans to accelerate nontraditional locations as well.

Dive Insight:

Au Bon Pain’s new store design was created to support the brand’s expansion, which was bolstered this summer by a10-unit development agreement in the Northeast market with an existing franchisee. This was the fourth franchise agreement since Ampex’s acquisition. The company also said it will open five corporate-owned stores and six franchise locations by the end of this year.

For Au Bon Pain, the design comes after several years of retrenchment, but also as it experiences what the company calls “impressive results” since moving under Ampex.

The new store design was created to meet the changing demands of consumers as off-premise and convenience options remain elevated more than two years since the onset of the pandemic. According to a 2021 study from Deloitte, 61% of consumers order takeout or delivery at least once a week.

Au Bon Pain isn’t the only concept introducing a new store model. Several quick-service chains have added double drive-thru or drive-thru-only restaurants, for instance. Au Bon Pain, however, may have a bigger need to balance the convenience demands with the “café” experience and is therefore prioritizing a community-like space alongside its self-serve bakery and other convenience features.

“Our new cafes give on-the-go guests what they crave and deserve — handcrafted, delicious food, fast — while offering a lovely space for guests that want to stay for a bit,” President Ericka Garza said in a statement.

Sketched rendering of new Au Bon Pain model with drinks along righthand wall next to indoor seating, as well as a soup station — Courtesy of Au Bon Pain

Concepts like Panera and Starbucks have also been striving to strike this balance. Last year, Panera unveiled a double drive-thru store design, which also features a dining room with ovens in full view of dine-in guests. The chain is also now testing artificial intelligence voice technology at the drive-thru with the hopes of speeding up service, and has introduced a digital-only café focused only on off-premise dining. Starbucks is also accelerating drive-thru locations while maintaining its reputation as a “third place” between work and home.

Notably, the shifts in restaurant design at Panera, a similar concept to Au Bon Pain, come as the chain now experiences over 80% of its sales coming from off-premise channels.

Au Bon Pain has also introduced a new grab-and-go kiosk design for its commuter and university locations, which could also help the brand plant a seed in new markets for a lower cost. According to the company’s website, there are several such locations within the system and the first redesigned grab-and-go kiosk opened last year in Albany, New York.