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Panera debuts spring menu items

Alan Liddle, Senior Data & Events Editor

April 1, 2010

1 Min Read
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Alan J. Liddle

RICHMOND HEIGHTS Mo. Panera Bread Co. said it has added several spring menu items, including a Cuban Chicken Panini and a Jalapeño and Cheddar Bagel Breakfast Sandwich.

 

Dan Kish, head chef of the bakery-cafe chain, said the chain decided to roll out the panini nationally only after it passed a demanding test in Miami, the heart of the Cuban community in America.

 

 

 

"While it was a risk to introduce our spin on a Cuban sandwich to a particularly demanding customer base, we figured that if it could succeed there, it could succeed anywhere,” Kish said. “Judging by our customers' response in Miami, we're confident our take on the Cuban sandwich is going to be a welcome addition to the menu.”

 

 

 

Panera’s version of a Cuban sandwich is made with antibiotic-free chicken, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, chipotle mayo, sun-dried tomato ale mustard and pickle chips marinated in jalapeño-infused brine. It is served on focaccia.

 

 

 

The Jalapeño and Cheddar Bagel Breakfast Sandwich is anchored by the chain’s new jalapeño and cheddar bagel, which is made with corn flour and incorporates cheese in the dough. The bagel is sliced and filled with an egg, Vermont white cheddar and a slice of smoked ham.

 

 

 

Also new to the Panera menu are a Strawberries & Cream Scone made with dried infused strawberries, white chocolate chips and strawberry bits, and an Apple Crunch Muffin. The reduced-fat muffin features chopped apple chunks, topped with a cinnamon and sugar topping.

 

 

 

Panera Bread Co. owns or franchises 1,380 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Cafe names.

 

 

 

Contact Alan J. Liddle at aliddle@nrn.com.

 

 

About the Author

Alan Liddle

Senior Data & Events Editor

Alan is Senior Data & Events Editor for The Restaurant & Food Group within Informa Connect, including Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, Food Management and Supermarket News. He joined NRN in 1984, covering the Pacific Northwest, and later added chief photographer duties, initiated NRN’s regular technology coverage, was on the development team for NRN.com and generated content for NRN’s early podcasting initiative, Podcast Central, beginning in 2006. Alan is senior researcher and data analyst for NRN and Supermarket News market data products, including Top 200 and SN75, and helps develop and present educational programs for conferences and webinars. A graduate of California State University at Fullerton and a former daily and weekly newspaper reporter, he resides in Salinas, Calif.

 

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