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Panera Bread customers were forced to say goodbye to 48 favorite menu items earlier this month as the chain goes under a massive overhaul.
The fast-food chain Panera announced a major menu overhaul starting on April 4, marking a new era for the company. The changes aim to focus on innovating and improving their core menu offerings that customers love.
According to Panera’s statement, those core items are soups, salads, sandwiches and mac & cheese.
Among the items discontinued by Panera Bread are the blueberry bagel, Baja bowl, and cold brew. Below, you can see the complete list of items that have been removed from the menu.
Another was one item that helped the chain when it launched nearly four decades ago.
Panera has also welcomed 9 new items and ’12 enhanced classics’ on the same day as their menu options removal.
Panera Bread previously announced that 48 menu items would disappear on April 4, including the Blueberry Bagel
The menu changes are symbolizing ‘a new era at Panera’ that is ‘refocusing on innovating and enhancing the core Panera items guests love the most’
The core items that Panera Bread is focusing on when it comes to their guest satisfaction are soups, salads, sandwiches and mac & cheese
In 1987, Panera Bread opened its first store in Missouri as a bakery featuring a secret sourdough starter. Interestingly, this signature item is one of the products that the company is now removing from its menu.
They have added to their menu over the years and the restaurant chain believes in serving ‘delicious, freshly prepared, clean food made with carefully selected ingredients.’
As of January 2024, Panera Bread has more than 2,160 locations within 48 US states.
The restaurant chain has switched up their menu over the years, but they confirmed in their February statement the April switch is by far the biggest.
‘The new menu offers guests better value through enhanced portions and lower price points, while also being easier for guests to navigate,’ the statement indicated.
‘The transformed menu will help streamline operations for bakery-cafe teams, ensuring they can continue to deliver delicious food more easily and always wrapped in Panera warmth.’
Panera Bread products that were axed from the menu include the turkey chili, green passion smoothie and the pepperoni mozzarella melt.
Interestingly enough, these three items were ranked in the top 20 best Panera menu items by Tasting Table in 2023.
The restaurant chain may be able to make up for this removal with their all-new menu items.
Panera Bread first opened a store in 1987. As of January 2024, Panera Bread has more than 2,160 locations within 48 US states.
Customers were forced to say goodbye to the Mediterranean bowl with chicken on April 4. However, the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich is staying put
The new entrees that Panera Bread has added to its menu include the toasted Italiano and the bacon mac & cheese.
Its toasted Italiano comes with ingredients like black forest ham, provolone, romaine and Greek dressing.
Another new soon-to-be-favorite could be the chicken bacon rancher.
The sandwich includes white cheddar and grilled chicken to make it scrumptious for all bacon lovers.
Panera Bread customers who are in a steak and cheese mood can order the all-new ciabatta cheesesteak.
The cheesesteak is full of provolone, garlic aioli and caramelized onions that will satisfy a steak and cheese lover’s taste buds.
Guests who are not up for a new sandwich can also try a new spin on Panera Bread’s mac & cheese.
The restaurant chain has added a new Bacon Mac & Cheese bowl that includes many different cheeses.
Customers who are hoping for a regular menu option can also order an enhanced product.
Panera Bread has revamped the recipes for items like Fuji apple chicken salad and the chipotle chicken avocado melt.
Guests can try any of these all-new or revamped menu items at any Panera Bread location today.
While Panera is promoting its newest items, social media users were quick to vent their frustrations with their favorites being removed.
‘Yo shoutout Panera Bread for removing all of the good stuff from their menu to add new items like bacon mac and cheese. wow so innovative. so creative. how are you gonna f*** up your menu that bad?’ X user Stephanie Liebel wrote.
Another user named @rosemags_ agreed saying: ‘Whoever decided to absolutely decimate the entire Panera menu really needs to re-evaluate their life decisions.’
User Mare Finley wasn’t just mad about the removed items, but the cost as well at the chain: ‘Panera just changed their whole menu, made everything worse, and their prices are still outrageous.’
