KANSAS CITY —In the last year, Panera Bread has prioritized menu innovations that offer better value through enhanced portions and decreased prices.
For instance, the company debuted an updated menu in April. The refreshed menu included nine original additions across the sandwich, salad and pasta categories. Sandwiches included a toasted Italiano, a chicken bacon rancher, the ciabatta cheesesteak and the tomato basil BLT. Salads included Mediterranean chicken greens with grains, Southwest chicken ranch, balsamic chicken greens with grains and ranch cobb salad. Additionally, the company added a bacon macaroni and cheese pasta variety.
Breakfast offerings have been a key focus for the company, emphasized by launches such as the Bacon Double Take sandwich, the ham, egg and cheese sandwich for protein-focused consumers, or the Steak & Wake sandwich. Alongside the three sandwiches, the company also unveiled CinnaScrambles, a product that combines classic breakfast sandwich ingredients with a warmed cinnamon roll. Offerings included the traditional CinnaScramble with scrambled eggs and American cheese and the Sausage CinnaScramble with an added sausage patty.
“We're thrilled to introduce exciting new breakfast items to our bakery-cafes nationwide as part of our ongoing menu transformation,” said Alicia Mowder, senior vice president of product strategy and insights for Panera Bread. “These delicious offerings will feature sweet, savory and protein-packed options to kickstart your day, including options that feature our signature cinnamon rolls.”
Panera also explored handheld innovation with its limited-edition ciabatta dippers line. The French dipper featured marinated steak, provolone cheese, asiago cheese and a garlic aioli drizzle with a dipping portion of french onion soup, and the spicy chicken dipper mixed grilled chicken, salsa verde and provolone cheese with tomato soup.
“At Panera, our guests have shown us just how much they enjoy pairing menu items, especially dipping their sandwiches into our signature soups,” said Mark Shambura, chief marketing officer at Panera Bread. “Inspired by this love for creative combinations, we’ve crafted two delicious new menu items for guests to ditch the spoon and embrace the dip.”
