The Brand Behind Panera Bread's Potato Chips

Crunchy, salty, and delicious, Panera Bread's potato chips usually come in a 1-ounce bag as a free side with a sandwich, soup, or salad. If you adore the flavor of these complimentary chips, you might want to know where you can grab a bigger bag to quell a king-size craving. According to a Reddit thread created by a poster who did a little digging on the subject, "the company that makes them is called Barrel O' Fun Snacks, also manufacturers of Rachel's and Old Dutch branded chips." The poster said this likely explains why some Panera Bread customers have occasionally received Old Dutch chips instead of a bag with the normal Panera Bread logo.

This Redditor sleuth got the info from a quick mention in a news article, which detailed plans for a Minnesota-based company called KLN Family Brands to open a chip factory in the former Troyer Farms plant in Pennsylvania. KLN owned Barrel O' Fun up until 2014 (when it was acquired by Shearer's) and produced private label snacks "including chips made for Target and Panera Bread."

Similar to other quality potato chips, Panera Bread's potato chips are made with nothing but potatoes, sea salt, and vegetable oil (which could contain sunflower, corn, and/or canola oil) Take a look at the ingredients in a packet of Rachel's chips and you'll find the same set of ingredients, suggesting they might be a perfect match.

Unlike a regular bag of chips, Panera Bread's chips are kettle cooked. This means the slices of potato are fried in large vats (known as kettles) instead of being prepared in bigger, modern processing facilities. When the sliced potatoes are tumbled into the hot oil, the temperature of the fat falls, requiring each batch of spud to be cooked a little longer. There's very little nutritional difference between regular chips and kettle chips because they both contain the same ingredients; however, the lengthier fry time creates a product that has a thicker, sturdier texture and uber-crunchy surface with plenty of body and bite. 

Perhaps this explains why Panera Bread's chips have such a devoted following. Indeed, one Redditor described the original poster's efforts as "doing the Lord's work" while another said, "Yeah, this is some A+ information," highlighting how popular the restaurant's chips are among customers looking to find the original manufacturer. If you can't get a hold of Rachel's or Old Dutch chips, Cape Cod's kettle-cooked potato chips in the original flavor are also a close match. Take a look at our list of popular kettle potato chips for more tips on selecting the best brand and flavor.