New menu items were rolled out in limited cafés and developed in test kitchens prior to
nationwide release. This process addressed two cost drivers. First, by employing economies of
scale individual cafés will not have to spend resources and capital investing in the development
of new menu items. Second, through the expertise of the advanced research and development
department Panera ensured both quality of product and process. This resulted in less product
waste and increased customer satisfaction and in turn lowered costs.