Panera Just Launched a New 'North Sea Soup Menu' Inspired by a Viral Trend
TikTok is probably best known for its prolific dance trends, gaggles of influencers, and viral comedic videos. But nowadays, if you know where to look on the app, there's content that touches on even some of the most obscure and unexpected topics. Look no further than North Sea TikTok, a growing collection of videos on the social media platform that all focus on the famous body of water bordered by Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, and several other European countries.
Videos of massive waves and boats caught in intense North Sea storms—many of which have ominous-sounding audio playing in the background—have been racking up millions of views on TikTok in recent weeks. TikTokers seem to be just as frightened by the North Sea as they are fascinated.
"This is terrifying," one user commented on a December 2023 North Sea video compilation with more than eight million views.
If you've landed on North Sea TikTok recently and found yourself unsettled by the content, Panera Bread wants to help calm your fears with its brand-new "North Sea Soup Menu" that just launched.
RELATED: Every Panera Soup—Ranked by Nutrition
To be clear, this North Sea menu doesn't feature any brand-new soups. Instead, it compiles several of Panera's coziest and most comforting soups that should be able to "soothe your North Sea scaries," the chain said in a press release shared with Eat This, Not That!
The menu is comprised of seven total options, including Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Turkey Chili, Bistro French Onion Soup, and Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup. Customers can check out the menu online to peruse the full list of options.
If you do head over to your local Panera to pick up a warm bowl or cup of soup in the next couple of weeks, you might want to take advantage of a special soup promotion that's running this January. Panera customers who purchase an entrée through the app can get a cup of soup for $1 when they apply the code "SOUP" at checkout.
The launch of the North Sea Soup Menu isn't the first time that Panera has tried to cash in on a viral TikTok moment by curating a special selection of items. Back in September 2023, the chain launched a "Roman Empire Menu" featuring iconic items that customers "just can't stop thinking about," in its own words. The menu was inspired by a TikTok trend where women asked men in their lives how often they thought about the Roman Empire. In TikTok videos racking up millions of likes and views, many men revealed that they think about it as often as every day.
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