Panera Kicks Off Fall With New Cinnamon Crunch Bagel Breakfast Sandwich
As true autumn enthusiasts know, "fall fever" has no concept of time. If you wake up on a late summer morning raring to go with pumpkin-patch-pouncing, apple-orchard-picking zeal, you're in luck — Panera just dropped the ultimate breakfast sandwich to satisfy seasonal palates.
Chances are good that longtime Panera fans have already tried the iconic, sticky, gooey Cinnamon Crunch Bagel made with cinnamon and vanilla flavored chips and topped with a sweet cinnamon crunch topping. Now, per an official press release, Panera's newest breakfast sandwich combines savory flavors with this beloved sweet treat, packing Black Forest ham, scrambled eggs, aged white cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper onto a Cinnamon Crunch Bagel for around $7, depending on the location.
To sweeten the deal (literally and figuratively), Panera is also bringing back its Cinnamon Crunch Latte, a combination of espresso, foamed milk, and cinnamon flavored syrup, covered with whipped cream and Cinnamon Crunch topping. The latte will be available hot or iced. Panera's seasonal fall menu (including the new sweet-savory breakfast sammy) officially drops nationwide on August 30, but MyPanera rewards members have had access to the new sandwich and the matching latte since August 21. For the rest of us, we're just thankful to finally be feeding our fall foodie fevers.
Sweet-savory and super seasonal
It's no wonder why Panera chose this particular bagel to be the star of the show moving into the fall season. The Cinnamon Crunch Bagel is a fan favorite Panera exclusive, selling roughly 85,000 per day and over 500,000 every single week, making it the top-selling bagel at the chain.
Indeed, it looks like Panera might have the market cornered compared to other coffee shop competitors when it comes to savory options. Over the next week, fans can also expect to see the return of other seasonal favorites like the Autumn Squash Soup and Turkey Chili. The Pumpkin Cookies will be coming back, as well. Still, it's not like the company necessarily needs to worry about competitor menus, anyway. In 2021, Panera saw a whopping $5.7 billion in U.S. sales, smoking the competition with café chain Einstein Bros. Bagels in second place at $420 million.
Compared to Panera's August 30 fall menu release, Starbucks' fall menu dropped much earlier this year on August 24. Dunkin' launched its seasonal offerings on August 16. Like Panera's returning Cinnamon Crunch Latte, Dunkin' and Starbucks have also noticeably included more iced bevys on their fall menus this year as temperatures remain warm nationwide, autumnal menus roll out well before the leaves start to change, and iced drinks enjoy a renaissance among younger consumers.