Au Bon Pain adds $49.99 hot lunches to catering lineAu Bon Pain adds $49.99 hot lunches to catering line

BOSTON The Au Bon Pain bakery-café chain said it has added a line of $49.99 hot lunches, marketed as enough for six people, to its catering menu. Meanwhile, the chain continues to experiment with whole-grain and multi-grain baked items while preparing for the January addition of a chicken sandwich served on “farmhouse” bread and topped with cold ancho-chile sauce.

Further down the road, the 262-unit chain is planning to add a quinoa salad served cold with black beans, sun-dried tomato pesto and spinach, executive chef Thomas John told Nation’s Restaurant News. He also mentioned a grilled chicken sandwich served with grilled eggplant.

The new Hot Lunch line consists of three jasmine rice bowls, each served with cold sides of a tomato and cucumber salad and field greens. The three hot options are a Mayan Chicken Harvest Rice Bowl, a Steak Churrasco Harvest Rice Bowl and a Thai Salmon Curry Harvest Rice Bowl. Each six-serving meal is priced at $49.99.

John said he is continuing to focus on such healthful twists as using whole grains for a Chocolate Wheat Croissant, which is currently in tests within “a small market.” It sells for $2.89, he indicated.