Panera Allegedly Discontinuing More Than 30 Popular Menu Items
If you're a devoted Panera Bread fan, prepare yourself for some possible menu changes that you may not like. The chain is allegedly about to significantly trim down its menu, which would include cutting several fan favorites.
In a recent TikTok, a self-identified Panera employee claimed that the chain was planning to discontinue a surprisingly lengthy list of items. These claims have not officially been confirmed by Panera, but if they turn out to be true, Panera fans are about to have significantly fewer food options.
The TikTok isn't currently available since the creator appears to have made the account private since posting the video. However, Mashed reported that more than 30 items total are allegedly going to leave menus. The list of items potentially on the chopping block includes the Bistro French Onion Soup, 10 Vegetable Soup, Toasted Steak & White Cheddar sandwich, Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich, Kitchen Sink Cookie, Lemon Drop Cookie, Vanilla Cinnamon Roll, Blueberry Scone, Butter Croissant, all of Panera's flatbreads, and all of the grain bowls.
On the beverage side, Panera is allegedly cutting the Chocolate Latte, Decaf Espresso Shot, Madagascar Vanilla Cream Cold Brew, and Almond Cream Cold Brew, per Tasting Table. The potential loss of the decaf espresso shot is especially notable considering that Panera wouldn't be able to make many decaf drinks or lattes anymore.
In a statement, Panera did not confirm or deny whether the items mentioned in the video are indeed leaving menus. However, it did indicate that the menu changes may only impact a select number of its restaurants.
"In service of continually improving upon the guest experience, we are currently testing a streamlined menu in a small amount of Panera bakery-cafes, providing guests with a faster and more convenient experience while also simplifying operations for our associates. We always have a number of tests running across the country to identify new ways to better serve our guests, whether that's by menu innovation, simplification, or through new technology."
If Panera does end up cutting all of those popular items from its lineup, the changes are sure to cause an uproar among fans. In fact, customers have already been grieving the potential loss of the Kitchen Sink Cookie on social media since the viral TikTok started making the rounds.
"Panera is getting rid of the Kitchen Sink Cookie. This is the worst thing to ever happen in the history of ever," one disappointed fan lamented in a recent post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
Fans are also devastated about the alleged loss of the Bistro French Onion Soup.
"Panera is discontinuing the French Onion soup. Therefore I will never go to Panera again," another customer wrote in an X post.
The alleged Panera Bread employee explained in the TikTok that the chain planned to remove the items in two to three weeks, per Mashed. So customers might want to make a point to enjoy any of their favorite items that might be leaving the menu until then.
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