Faceoff: Panera Bread vs. McAlister’s Deli

Welcome to The App Faceoff, a Bottle Rocket series in which we perform a digital experience review across two apps in the same industry to explore how they stack up in areas such as design, customer engagement and growth.

At Bottle Rocket, we specialize in building and growing digital experiences for leading brands in a variety of industries. Each of the analysis points for this App Faceoff are measurable areas that should be considered when evolving and growing a digital experience, such as a mobile app, website, or kiosk. Checkout the latest App Faceoff’s here!

User Acquisition

While both McAlister’s and Panera see better app ratings on iOS than Android, the disparity is much more significant for McAlister’s, whose low Android rating drags down its overall user satisfaction. Panera enjoys more consistent ratings across platforms and tightly integrates its MyPanera loyalty program and app usage with advertising campaigns, frequently highlighting member-exclusive offers for online ordering. McAlister’s, while occasionally running rewards-focused campaigns, generally lacks this level of digital integration in its broader advertising. In-store, both brands promote online ordering and rapid pickup through similar signage, though Panera more effectively leverages its MyPanera program across its website and marketing materials.

Check out page 5 to see a deep dive into how each brand performs.

Conversion

While both Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Velvet Taco’s apps aim for a streamlined user experience, they prioritize different features. Fuzzy’s focuses on the ordering process, with intuitive tappable segments, pull-to-refresh for reward updates, and a helpful map view with integrated calling and automatic nearest store selection. Filtering by handoff method adds further convenience. However, it lacks a dedicated home screen, a feature Velvet Taco’s app excels in. Velvet Taco prioritizes its loyalty program, using appealing imagery, birthday rewards, and clear communication of its “1 point per $1 spent” earning rate to drive engagement. Both apps offer convenient features, with Fuzzy’s emphasizing order placement and Velvet Taco highlighting reward redemption and a user-friendly home screen experience.

See page 6 for more details.

Retention

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the usability challenges faced by users of the Panera and McAlister’s apps, we conducted a heuristic usability analysis complemented by a review of user feedback from the Google Play and App Store reviews. By combining expert analysis with direct customer feedback, we aim to pinpoint areas needing improvement and enhance the overall user experience of the apps.

See pages 9-11 for the deep dive.

Whats Next?

Over the past several weeks, we’ve thoroughly evaluated Panera and McAlister’s, and we’ve enjoyed both experiences—especially those who were able to dine in and savor the diverse menus as part of this endeavor. Each brand demonstrated unique strengths in our review, showcasing their maturity in the fast-casual dining space. However, there are areas for improvement that we’ve identified that both might implement to enhance engagement and adoption within their customer experiences. Below, we have outlined a targeted roadmap with high-impact items to drive better ordering processes, engagement strategies, and loyalty programs:

For a closer look, check out page 12.

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If you’re looking to elevate your brand’s digital presence, our team is ready to provide the guidance and strategies needed for exceptional results. Contact us to learn more today!

Did you miss the last App Faceoff? Check out our comparison of Velvet Tacos and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.