Panera's Most Popular Discontinued Salad Is Back On the Menu
From Taco Bell's Caramel Apple Empanada to McDonald's McRib, fast-food fans have seen some incredibly popular discontinued options return to chain restaurant menus in 2024. The latest fast-food item to come out of retirement is a beloved Panera salad that fans have been missing ever since it was pulled from menus earlier this year.
Panera's Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (440 calories) has made its grand return at restaurants nationwide, and it features all the old elements customers already know and love. It starts with a blend of romaine and lettuce tossed in Panera's Asian-inspired vinaigrette, a light, reduced-sugar dressing with hints of sesame oil, black pepper, and onion. The salad is also topped with grilled chicken breast strips, fresh cilantro, toasted sliced almonds, sesame seeds, and deep-fried wonton strips.
The Asian Sesame Chicken Salad was one of the dozens of items that Panera discontinued in April as part of its biggest menu transformation in company history. The bakery-café chain introduced enhanced recipes for 12 existing menu items and debuted nine new options as part of the overhaul, including a Toasted Italiano sandwich (1,280 calories) and Bacon Mac & Cheese (1,060 calories).
But to make room for the new arrivals and refocus on its core offerings of soups, salads, and sandwiches, Panera had to eliminate a large swath of its menu. Flatbread pizzas, cold brew coffees, grain bowls, and some baked goods were among the other discontinued items. However, fans took the loss of the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad particularly hard and weren't shy about voicing their displeasure with the decision.
"I ate that salad basically every workday for years. Bummer that it's gone!" a fan lamented on Reddit earlier this year.
"I'm done with Panera. It was the only salad I liked," another wrote.
Now that it's officially back, customers can score the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad at their local Panera for a starting price of $11.69. But as always, prices may vary at different locations.
The return of the popular salad isn't the only goodie that Panera has lined up for customers right now. In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the chain is offering a 50% discount on all breakfast entrees from Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. Customers will need to apply the code "BFAST50" at checkout in order to score the deal.
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