RICHMOND HEIGHTS Mo. Panera Bread Co. will post calorie information in all 585 of its company-owned bakery-cafes by April and expects similar disclosure at its 795 franchised branches by year-end, the company said Wednesday.
The move by Panera comes as Congress considers national legislation requiring calorie disclosure by chain restaurants and as several states, counties and cities across the country do likewise. Multiple states and smaller jurisdictions, including California, King County in Washington and New York City, already have such laws on the books.
“We are pleased to be the first national concept to provide this level of transparency to customers,” said Scott Davis, chief concept officer for Richmond Heights-based Panera. “It comes from our commitment to providing nutrition information and wholesome foods our customers can trust.”
Yum! Brands Inc., parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, made a similar pledge in 2008, promising to post calorie counts on the menu boards of all company-owned restaurants by 2011.
Davis said customers have responded favorably as Panera has installed the new menu boards. He noted that guests have been “gravitating towards options that allow them to customize their meals such as our You Pick Two, where they can pair smaller portions of our soups, salads or sandwiches to create a meal with fewer calories.”
As a result of the closer look at the chain’s menu and customer purchase trends, the chain has "improved the nutritional content and ingredients" of several items, he said.
Besides the calorie information soon to be found on menu boards, Panera’s customers also can use nutrition calculator software at the company’s www.panerabread.com website to gauge the nutrition metrics of standard menu items and items prepared to their specifications. Company officials said guests visiting restaurants can also ask to see a binder with additional printed nutrition information.
Panera Bread Co. operates or franchises bakery-cafe restaurants under three brands: Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Cafe.
Contact Alan J. Liddle at [email protected].
