US-based fast casual restaurant company Panera Bread has partnered with ezCater to boost its presence in the workplace catering space.

The partnership will allow Panera Bread to launch its soups, salads and sandwiches on ezcater's online marketplace.

The collaboration will bring together ezcater’s reach in food for work and the Panera brand’s recognition and diverse menu.

The partnership will combine Panera's deep brand awareness and broad menu with ezcater's reach.

Panera Bread off-premise vice-president Lisa Hamblet said: “As two of the most established providers of food for work, Panera is excited to partner with ezCater to provide workplaces with even more access to our delicious menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and more.

“An ideal complement to Panera’s existing catering service, ezCater adds additional reach and scale to expand to more businesses and take Panera Catering to the next level.”

The partnership will allow businesses to order catering from nearly half of Panera’s bakery cafes located across the US through the ezCater website and mobile app.

Going forward, the duo plans to further increase their network by adding more Panera locations to the ezCater marketplace.

Ezcater chief partnerships officer Mike O’Hanlon said: “Not only is Panera a market leader in fast casual, but they’re also a powerhouse in catering and one of our customers’ most requested brands,

“We’re bringing the comfort and warmth of Panera’s crave-worthy offerings and the convenience and reliability of ezCater to workplaces across the country. We’re excited to launch this partnership and continue expanding it in the months and years to come.”

Leveraging its knowledge of corporate food solutions, ezCater helps its restaurant partners manage, analyse and grow their catering businesses.

Ezcater currently has more than 100,000 restaurants and caterers on its platform, including local independent restaurants, as well as national chains.