Product Design & Development | Supply Chain Strategy

Panera Bread, FF&E Palette Development

Boston, MA

A significant part of Scott Mitchem’s responsibility as Vice President of Design & Concepts at Panera Bread was reinventing the FF&E concept from the ground up, with the stated goals of elevated design and cost reduction. To achieve both, Mr. Mitchem assembled a team of former collaborators that included concept and furniture designers, architects, and supply chain specialists. He implemented a rigorous process and led all strategy and creative development. All products were tested beyond the current BIFMA standard to requirements customized to the Panera café environment.

Concept design and development was complete in December 2019, delivering Panera a fresh, relevant, and cohesive look and feel while resulting in an approximate 30 percent cost savings per unit. Initial store launches are expected in late 2020 and early 2021.

Photo above, thumbnail by Scott Mitchem