Panera Launching 3 Soups & Revamped Kids' Menu

The official start of fall (Sept. 22) is now just a few days away, bringing promises of crisp weather, crunchy leaves, and pumpkin spice galore. To celebrate the commencement of cozy season, Panera Bread is updating its menu with three hearty soups and an improved selection of kids' options.

The three fall-themed soups and revamped kids menu became available today, Sept. 18, at Panera restaurants across the country. The new arrivals include the returning Autumn Squash Soup (330 calories)—a seasonal favorite available for a limited time starting in the fall each year. It features butternut squash, pumpkin, vegetable broth, honey, apple juice, cinnamon, a hint of curry, sweet cream, and a topping of roasted, salted pumpkin seeds.

I Tried Every Soup at Panera & One Can't Be Beat

The two other soups that just hit menus are brand-new. One is a Hearty Fireside Chili (400 calories), which appears to be replacing the Turkey Chili that Panera discontinued in April this year. It's packed with beef, kidney beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and green chili peppers, all of which are simmered in a broth flavored with cilantro and a blend of chilis.

Panera also just debuted a Rustic Baked Potato Soup that features homestyle cuts of potatoes, bacon, chives, and seasoning simmered in a Monterey Jack cheese sauce and topped with asiago cheese. This is the first time that the chain has offered a potato soup in restaurants since it reportedly discontinued an older version of the item in 2019.

Panera already offers a selection of popular soups—such as the Broccoli Cheddar Soup (360 calories) and Creamy Tomato Soup (370 calories)—but wants to fully embrace autumn with these three new and returning additions.

"When it's soup season, it's peak Panera season, and we're excited to celebrate by adding even more flavor and variety into our iconic lineup of soups, including hearty new offerings and seasonal favorites we know our guests love coming back for," Mark Shambura, chief marketing officer for Panera Bread, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the updated kids' menu now features double portions on select sandwiches, "bringing more value for families and delicious options thoughtfully crafted for its youngest fans." Panera's younger customers can now choose between a whole-sized Kids Grilled Cheese (890 calories), a new Kids Turkey & Cheese Sandwich (690 calories), a new Kids Ham & Cheese Sandwich (680 calories), Kids Mac & Cheese (480 calories), and Kids Broccoli Cheddar Soup (240 calories). Kids will be able to choose either an apple, French baguette, or chips as a side for their meal, and add a beverage for a suggested price of $0.89 at participating locations.

Panera Bread new kids menu — Courtesy of Panera Bread

As a final goodie for customers, Panera is offering an enticing deal on its Unlimited Sip Club, a subscription that allows customers to score a drink every two hours for a set monthly price of $14.99. New subscribers who sign up through Oct. 31 will get three months of Unlimited Sip Club for free.

The autumn soups and enhanced kids' options are only the latest exciting new arrivals at Panera Bread this year. The bakery-café chain overhauled its menu in April with nine brand-new options and new-and-improved recipes for 12 existing menu items, such as the Strawberry Poppyseed Chicken Salad (370 calories), and Bravo Club Sandwich (880 calories). Panera has rolled out a myriad of other fresh offerings since then, including breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and baked goods.