‘Panera’s new era’ may not be what it seems

Last week, Panera Bread unveiled its “biggest menu transformation in history,” including nine new items and reimagined recipes and portion sizes, for a total of 20 menu updates. The new menu items include sandwiches like the Toasted Italiano sandwich with Black Forest ham, soppressata and provolone; and salads like the Southwest Chicken Ranch with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, Ranch dressing, and chipotle aioli. Panera COO Debbie Roberts dubbed the menu overhaul the start of “Panera’s new era” as the company “gets back to [its] roots” in the salad and sandwich categories.

But this brand transformation doesn’t just add new items—it also removes items. Although not included in the original press release, a Panera spokesperson confirmed with NRN that flatbreads would be removed from the menu moving forward. Flatbreads were introduced in 2019 as part of a previous menu overhaul as the JAB Holding-owned company introduced new menu categories specifically designed to target the dinner daypart.