12 Facts About Panera Bread You Should Know As A Customer

When you're craving a sandwich, salad, or even a serving of soup in a bread bowl, there's one fast-casual restaurant that will always have you covered: Panera Bread. It's beloved for its healthier options and mix-and-match deals that allow you to choose several menu items in one order. But even if you go to Panera Bread on a regular basis, there's probably a lot you don't know about the company (like all the Panera menu hacks you can try). After all, it's not like you get an informational brochure every time you order some broccoli cheddar soup.

That's why we've collected some info about the brand so you know a bit more about the restaurant the next time you visit. Having some background information (like which soups and macs to order) may make you appreciate your meals from Panera more — or it might prompt you to enjoy your Panera Bread favorites, which hopefully aren't discontinued, in a whole new way. Either way, after reading these must-know facts about the popular bread-based chain, you can guarantee you'll be one of the most knowledgeable customers ordering your lunch at Panera the next time you visit.

Sure, "Panera Bread" may be a catchy name for a fast casual restaurant, so you may imagine that the chain was branded this way from the start. However, it wasn't always called Panera Bread. Back when the chain first got its start back in 1987, it was known as St. Louis Bread Company. Yes, it all started in St. Louis, but you may be surprised to learn that the sourdough starter the chain first used for its famous bread came all the way from San Francisco.

By this point, though, Panera Bread has expanded far outside the bounds of St. Louis. You can now find the chain all across the country, with most states boasting multiple locations — perhaps that's why a less geographically specific name works better than the original. Knowing about the chain's history and where it came from, though, might just give you a bit more insight into what to expect from Panera Bread. After all, what is a company if it doesn't stay true to its roots?

A lot of people go to Panera Bread for the food, of course, but it's about more than just getting a meal and getting out. Many customers enjoy going to Panera not just to eat but also to spend time sipping a drink, working, or chatting with friends. And since there are many Panera locations that facilitate this kind of environment, it would make sense that you'd want to grab a drink and stay a while. And if you don't have to keep paying for more drinks every time you finish one, there's probably a better chance that you'll stay for longer.

Panera makes that easier for those who want to continuously sip while they work or snack throughout the day with its Unlimited Sip Club. This program allows you to snag a variety of drinks every two hours for a monthly membership fee of $14.99 plus tax. It includes drinks like hot drip coffee, hot tea, lemonade, iced tea, and your favorite fountain drinks, although it doesn't apply to fancier coffee drinks like cold brews or lattes. However, you'll also get free refills, which does sweeten the deal a bit. Of course, this deal isn't for everyone — if you only eat at Panera once a month or so, it doesn't really make sense to buy a whole drink subscription. But for those who find themselves at Panera on the regular (and like to drink a lot of coffee), it can be a cost-effective way to drink to your heart's content.

Curating a good restaurant experience is about so much more than just the food and drink. Perhaps that's why Panera Bread pays such close attention to the music its location plays. Think about it: Have you ever stepped foot into a Panera and heard the latest Top 40 hits? Probably not. That's because it's actually the company's policy to exclusively play smooth jazz and classical music. Not only does this create sort of a uniform experience at any Panera Bread you step into, but it also provides a backdrop that's ideal for a relaxing dining experience.

This kind of music is nice when you're sitting and casually chatting with friends, but it's especially enjoyable when you're studying or working at a Panera. So, no, it's not exactly the best place to be if you're trying to have a nice night out at a trendy restaurant that's blasting remixes of your favorite top-charting songs — but that's not what the restaurant is trying to be. When you want to sit somewhere, sip your coffee, and eat a sandwich for lunch while you get some work done, Panera Bread has created a musical backdrop that won't distract you from what you want to focus on.

Love the flavor of all your go-to Panera Bread favorites but don't actually want to go to a Panera location all the time? You're not alone. That's probably why Panera Bread decided to roll out a whole host of grocery items that you can grab at your local grocery store and take home with you. Not only is this a more convenient way to get your Panera fix for the day, but it'll likely save you some cash as well. Of course, you won't find every single menu item at the grocery store, but there are enough of the classics to keep you satisfied until your next trip to the popular sandwich chain.

For example, Panera Bread sells a wide variety of its soups, including Autumn Squash, Broccoli Cheddar, and Greek Style Lemon Chicken soup, at grocery stores. You can also snag a variety of dressings and dips that can give your salads and snacks a punch of flavor. There are even flavorful bowls, like the Cajun Style Pasta Bowl and Tuscan Style Chicken Bowls, that you can grab the next time you're at the store. It might not be quite as good as the real thing, fresh from the Panera kitchen, but it's close enough that it'll sate your Panera cravings even when you can't get to a physical location.

Depending on who you ask, calorie information on a menu can be a good or bad thing. Those who are against calorie counts on menus generally claim that it can trigger people who are prone to disordered eating and can affect their enjoyment of certain heavier, higher-calorie foods. On the other hand, some people appreciate getting more nutritional information about what they're eating, claiming that it helps them make healthier, more informed choices about what they're putting into their bodies.

If you personally fall into that second camp of people, then you'll probably appreciate the fact that Panera Bread was the first national chain that posted calorie information about their dishes at every store, all voluntarily, back in 2010. Of course, you don't have to allow this information to affect what you ultimately decide to order and eat from the restaurant, but if you do pay close attention to what you're consuming, being able to reference those calorie counts can help you make decisions that align with your health goals.

You may assume that there are a lot of different fast casual restaurants you can choose from and that they all offer something completely different. In reality, though, a lot of your favorite restaurants are probably related. That's certainly true when it comes to Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, and Einstein Bros. Bagels, at least. These used to be separate companies, but in 2021, the three eateries all merged, coming under JAB Holding Co.

That doesn't mean that you can't get your favorite coffee drink at Caribou or that the bagels at Einstein Bros. will be replaced with Panera sandwiches. It simply means that the three popular chains have similar financial interests. The next time you visit one of these establishments, though, you may just realize that it's more similar to the others than you may have expected. That makes sense, though, considering that all of these fast-casual options are more geared towards breakfast and lunch options and have similar vibes.

Don't you hate it when you order a croissant, a muffin, or a loaf of bread from a bakery only to realize that it tastes stale, implying that it was probably sitting out for a longer period of time than it should've been? That's a bummer, especially when you're at a place that's supposed to be known for freshly baked goods. However, that shouldn't be a big problem when you visit Panera Bread. That's because the company is known for baking its bakery times fresh on a daily basis.

However, that may be changing. Some Panera locations are now receiving par-baked bread, which means that the bread has been partially baked and frozen before it arrives at the store. The bread is then baked to completion once it reaches its final location and before you order it. That being said, you're not likely to order bread that's actually stale from Panera Bread, although, depending on the location you visit, it may not be quite as fresh as you're imagining.

It's an unfortunate reality of our food system that a lot of perfectly good food gets wasted on a daily basis. This large-scale food waste takes place at grocery stores, restaurants, and even in our own homes. When we throw away food at home, though, it's usually because it's already gone bad. When it comes to restaurants, a lot of that food is trashed simply to make way for fresher food that's coming in the next day. Panera Bread apparently realizes that it's a shame to throw all that perfectly good food in the trash, which is why it donates its leftovers.

These donations happen through the Day-End Dough-Nation program, which connects Panera locations to organizations that often need extra food to help get those bakery items to people who can enjoy them. For example, some Panera Bread locations may donate to after-school programs that feed hungry kids working on their homework, while others may donate to domestic violence shelters, soup kitchens, and low-income elderly housing programs. Obviously, that doesn't necessarily mean that the chain produces no food waste at all, but the fact that it has a plan for at least some of its uneaten food should serve as an inspiration for other restaurants to do the same.

Working on a fundraising project for an organization of your choice? Want to grab a sandwich and a bowl of soup at the same time? Then you may want to consider hosting your next fundraising event at a Panera Bread. The restaurant chain has a program that allows you to earn up to 25% of the net sales of the event for the organization for which you're raising money. You just have to schedule the event by contacting your local Panera location, promote your event, and then rake in the money for your organization. Something to keep in mind, though, is that different locations may offer less than that 25% of net sales, so make sure you ask about your specific store's policy before you decide to move forward with the event.

Planning a fundraising event can be tricky, so having the option of scheduling at a Panera instead of doing everything yourself from scratch can be a solid option if you're short on time. Plus, it's a good excuse to go grab your favorite Panera meal in the process.

In the past several years, the cost of food has risen precipitously, making going out to eat — and even buying groceries — less and less affordable for the average person. But once upon a time, the food affordability landscape looked different in the U.S., and at one point, Panera was trying to make its food more affordable and accessible to a wider range of people. In 2010, Panera Bread started opening locations that seemed like any other Panera Bread. But instead of selling food at a set, specific price, it instead provided customers with suggested donation prices in an attempt to educate more people about food insecurity.

These pay-what-you-can Panera Breads were opened in several cities, but in 2019, the last of their kind closed in Boston. They apparently just didn't make enough money to stay afloat, and the company began winding down the program in 2016. Unfortunately, though, at this time when food prices are so high, there are probably a lot more people who could benefit from this kind of program.

It's no secret that Panera Bread is a great place to bring your laptop when you want to get some work done. But these days, it's really just the food, the drinks, and the atmosphere that make it a good spot for focusing on your work. Back in the day, though, it was an ideal place for working and studying for another reason: It had free WiFi. In 2025, you can get free WiFi at just about any business in town, but 20 years ago, finding a spot with free WiFi was a challenge ... unless, of course, you decided to visit a Panera Bread location.

In 2004, Panera Bread became the largest provider of free WiFi in the entire country. At that point, there were 600 cafes in the country that provided free WiFi, allowing customers to use the internet while they were sipping their coffees or slurping their soup. You may not go to Panera Bread specifically for the free WiFi these days, but it continues to be a solid place for remote working, browsing the web while you eat, or sending memes between bites.

If you live in a big city, then you know that a lot of cafes and restaurants don't have a ton of seating. Instead, they're places where you grab your food and go, whether you plan on taking your meal back to your office or eating it at home. And apparently, Panera Bread is embracing this kind of model with smaller footprint locations that offer the food the chain is famous for without any of the seating. The chain rolled out the first version of this kind of store in Chicago, where it was a success. Then, in 2022, it decided to expand to New York City — a city known for its lack of space.

These locations are quite a bit smaller than traditional Panera Breads, and they also feature digital menus and quick pick-up stations that can make it easier to get your food quickly. Although Panera is known as a fast-casual restaurant that's traditionally offered comforting seating options that encourage customers to sit and stay a while, this new kind of restaurant model may be ideal for more of a lunch-focused crowd that's trying to get food on the go during the workday.