New subscription frontier: Restaurants

I also find it very interesting! While I have my own caffeine addiction while out and about (I’m usually on 3 coffees per day), I always prepare my first espresso at home during breakfast (no sugar, just a touch of milk so that it is dark brown and not black). Even a simple semi-automatic machine will run circles on the usual coffee you can get on the streets, plus it saves you a lot of time.

3 Likes

Starbucks is an acquired taste. I would love to have a coffee subscription from Starbucks.

No contest, I win every time. :slightly_smiling_face:I’m blessed with strong self-control and I restrict my calories to ~1,450/day so pastries are out except on a rare occasion. I’m not Panera’s target market. :wink:

It does! Their subscription includes cold drinks now, and Panera soda fountains (that I’ve seen) serve Pepsi options.

1 Like

Yeah. They make the assumption that the average person spends hundreds of dollars on coffee every month.

I agree that everybody is allowed to have their own priorities - I just find this particular one curious. Especially since every time I’ve gotten coffee at a coffee shop, I’ve been relatively unimpressed compared to my cheap pour-over at home.

2 Likes

Indeed. Others feel differently. Your comment reminded me of the domain bad.coffee, reportedly owned by a prominent tech podcaster…

For what it’s worth, I like the cappuccinos from the Barnes and Noble bookstore cafes. Having a coffee and something sweet is a treat when I stop in. If memory serves, they display the Starbucks branding. :slightly_smiling_face:

Or Chik Fil A sandwich!! I’d be dead in a month.

3 Likes

Panera now has a CarPlay app too… Just sayin… :grin:

I don’t have the Panera subscription but I did recently purchase a subscription at my local car wash. $35/mo for unlimited car washes. It’s great during the winter months here in New England, but I may pause it when it warms up a bit since I prefer to wash my own cars by hand,

I think this is a great idea. Interesting that the article says “even toilet paper” - it’s perfect for a subscription - it’s a relative commodity, the pace of use is predictable, and I don’t want to have a house full of it because I bulk purchased. Perfect and whoever came up with Who Gives A Crap is a genius.

I have no issue with subscriptions when there is a thing that I would need to pay for anyway. So long as:

  1. It works out cheaper, or at least more convenient (e.g., I don’t have to queue) for me
  2. The subscription is paying for something that has a variable value (e.g., cloud and API costs for software, coffee or toilet roll)
  3. It doesn’t limit my choices (e.g., a restaurant subscription wouldn’t work for me because I like variety, unless it is for the cafe near my office that I get my lunch from regularly enough or it to represent value
  4. There’s some sort of quid pro quo (e.g., it is a niche enough app that means I subscribe to support the developer - this is a rare breed though - most apps should just be better at attracting more customers, but there are definitely niche apps that would fit under this umbrella)

YMMV :slight_smile:

I do the same. My car has never been through a car wash. I pressure form it several times then wash and dry by hand.

Panera now has a CarPlay app too

Is a CarPlay app different than a phone app.? I’ll certainly check that out!

Me: “I don’t want this”

Also me: “oh, but it’d be great for the pizza place down the street”

Worth mentioning, and perhaps somebody else already did: this isn’t that different from a coffee delivery subscription. We basically have one of those. But like @Bmosbacker, we drink a lot of coffee.

It’s an extension of the app on your phone. It doesn’t do as much as the full iPhone app, but you can browse your recent orders and favorites, as well as place an order for pickup at a particular location, and pay for it. I’ve used it a few times, it pretty cool ordering right from your car.

https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/services/panera-carplay.html

1 Like