Catering Lead

Panera introduces cozy fall flavors to menu. Sep 1, 2026 Panera Bread is officially welcoming fall with a flavor-packed menu designed to deliver guests the ultimate cozy comfort. The bakery-cafe chain's seasonal lineup includes warm sandwiches, hearty new soups, the seasonal Harvest Medley Salad, and the return of guest favorites like the Chocolate Chip Bagel and Ciabatta Dippers. Panera's signature fall soups are back, led by the new Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup. The comforting seasonal soup lineup includes: * NEW Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup: Italian-style sausage, lasagna ribbon pasta, and parmesan cheese, in a ricotta tomato broth topped with asiago cheese * Rustic Baked Potato Soup: Homestyle-cut potatoes, bacon and chives in a seasoned creamy broth topped with even more bacon * Autumn Squash Soup: A seasonal fan favorite, featuring a rich blend of butternut squash and pumpkin simmered in vegetable broth with select ingredients, with honey, cinnamon and a hint of curry, finished with sweet cream and topped with roasted pumpkin seeds Also returning are several warm, hearty sandwiches, and well as the ultimate companion for dipping: Ciabatta Dippers. Inspired by guests who love to dip their sandwiches into every last spoonful of soup, Ciabatta Dippers bring the best of both together in one craveable offering. The French Ciabatta Dipper and Chicken Pesto Ciabatta Dipper are joined by guest favorites including the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, the Toasted Italiano, and the Chicken Bacon Rancher. In the bakery case, Panera is debuting a new, seasonal PB&J Cookie - a fresh take on a childhood favorite, featuring a soft peanut butter cookie with a gooey grape jelly filling. Panera's fall bakery lineup includes: * NEW PB&J Cookie - Peanut butter cookie filled with grape jelly and dusted with powdered sugar * NEW Cinnamon Croissant Bites - Mini croissants baked with a sweet cinnamon crunch topping and served with a side of icing * The returning Chocolate Chip Bagel "When the temperature drops, Panera is the place to go - we've crafted a seasonal fall menu that brings warm comfort, nostalgia and exciting new flavors to every occasion," says Scott Uehlein, vice president of culinary, Panera Bread. "From the hearty warmth of our new Three-Cheese Lasagna Soup to the playful joy of our PB&J Cookie, we're bringing everything our guests love about the season to the menu. We're also excited to bring back our beloved Chocolate Chip Bagel, delivering the familiar flavors and traditions our guests look forward to each fall." Rounding out the seasonal menu is the return of the crisp and colorful Harvest Medley Salad, featuring an abundance of toppings that truly capture the taste of the season, including a bed of mixed greens and fresh arugula, pumpkin seeds, mandarin oranges, and crunchy beet strips. Get better retail baking industry search results. Adding BakeMag tells Google to prioritize bake stories.

Keke Palmer teases A new 'relationship' that's 'refreshing loyal' Keke Palmer teases A new 'relationship' that's 'refreshingly loyal' as chatter around her love life continues to heat up. Published on August 19, 2026 Keke Palmer has a new relationship-and it sounds like she's pretty happy with how things are going. The actress, singer, and all-around internet fav is starring in Panera's new "Refreshingly Loyal" campaign, where she puts her own playful spin on the never-ending conversation about her love life. In the campaign, Keke teases what sounds like a very exciting new romance, using some of her signature humor to talk about finding something that's actually loyal, rewarding, and, most importantly, gives back. But before you start wondering who Keke is dating, there's a catch: The "relationship" she's talking about isn't with a person at all. "It's with MyPanera" Palmer's campaign celebrates the launch of Panera's revamped MyPanera rewards program, which officially rolled out nationwide Wednesday. The new points-based system is designed to give members more flexibility when earning and redeeming rewards, with Palmer turning the concept of loyalty into the punchline. And honestly, if your relationship is giving you free food, that's worth talking about. Under the new MyPanera program, members earn 10 points for every $1 spent and can put those points toward menu items of their choice. Rewards start at 250 points for goodies like a free bagel or mini bakery treat and go up to 2,000 points for a full entrée. There's also a little something extra waiting for members who want to celebrate the revamped program. From Aug. 19 through Sept. 1, new and existing MyPanera members can score 500 bonus points with their first purchase under the new program, enough to redeem a free Energy Refresher or Fresca. And if you're feeling adventurous, MyPanera members can also get exclusive access to Panera's new Tropical Mango Pineapple Energy Refresher, which launches Wednesday and is available exclusively through the Panera app for a limited time. The refreshed loyalty program also includes three tiers: the free MyPanera membership, MyPanera+ for guests who spend $300 in a calendar year and unlock additional perks, and MyPanera+ Sip Club, which includes MyPanera+ benefits along with up to 30 select beverages per month and other perks. So, while Palmer may have the internet wondering about the latest addition to her dating life, it turns out her newest "relationship" is one that comes with rewards. And considering all of the perks involved, Wiz Nation can't really blame her.

Panera Bread rolls out new-and-improved loyalty program. The fast-casual chain is shifting to a points-based program with tiers. The goal is to offer more value, choice, and transparency. Lisa Jennings, Executive Editor, Restaurant Business August 19, 2026 Panera Bread's new-and-improved loyalty program is scheduled to roll out on Wednesday, a move designed to offer more value, choice, and transparency. Joshua Fine, the Boston-based chain's chief digital officer, said the new tiered MyPanera plan is a response to customer feedback. Previously, Panera's loyalty program was based on "surprise and delight" rewards that were harder for guests to understand. Under the previous program, he said, "You were never really sure what you were going to get in terms of the reward that we were offering and when." The new program, however, is points based, and guests can more clearly see their rewards and how that can translate to discounts. "It's going to be even easier to earn rewards, faster to get them, and then you're going to have a great deal of choice in terms of how you redeem those rewards, which overall provides a great deal of flexibility within the program," Fine said. The loyalty revamp is part of the ongoing Panera RISE transformation plan to turnaround flagging sales, which has included menu upgrades and operational shifts. The new loyalty program was tested earlier this year, and Fine said the changes have resonated with guests, bringing in new and lapsed diners to the program, which has about 70 million members. The new program has three tiers: The base MyPanera tier is free. Guests earn 10 points for every $1 spent, and guests can use those rewards for a selection of food and beverage options. For example, 250 points might get guests a free bagel, extra side or baked treat, and 2,000 points would earn an entrée or whole sandwich. For existing members, the transition to the new program is automatic. If ordering through the Panera app, guests will automatically accrue their rewards points. If ordering in stores at the register, guests will be asked if they want to enter their phone number or ID to earn their points. From Aug. 19 through Sept. 1, Panera is giving members a 500-point bonus on their first transaction in the new program, which is worth a free Energy Refresher or Fresca. Members will also have exclusive access to a new drink: a Tropical Mango Pineapple Refresher, which is launching Wednesday and only available on the Panera app. If guests spend more than $300 in a calendar year, that gets them to the second tier, called MyPanera+. This tier offers special benefits, like a free birthday You Pick Two, and bonus points on delivery orders. Instead of earning 10 points per dollar, in this tier guests earn 12 points per dollar for delivery orders. The highest tier is called MyPanera+Sip Club. This tier includes the Sip Club subscription program, which, as Panera announced earlier this year, is no longer unlimited. For $14.99 per month, guests can get up to 30 self-service drinks per month, in addition to the loyalty perks. For a limited time, Panera is offering the subscription for $5 to get three months of benefits. Members must download the app. Actress, podcaster and singer Keke Palmer has partnered with Panera to draw attention to the Refreshingly Loyal campaign to market the new loyalty program. Known for movies like "Akeelah and the Bee" and shows like "True Jackson," Palmer in social media posts talks about how rewarding "loyalty" can be, before revealing that the relationship she's talking about is MyPanera. Now considered table stakes for restaurant chains, loyalty programs have increasingly shifted to simpler points-based programs that offer more value. Fine said Panera believes it has found the right format. "We saw new member joining and new members transacting at a high rate within the program," he said. "That, again, confirmed that this was going to be the right formula for us moving forward." Executive Editor, Restaurant Business Lisa Jennings is a veteran restaurant industry reporter and editor who covers the fast-casual sector, independent restaurants and emerging chain concepts. Her experience includes other industry publications as well as the daily newspaper The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., where she was Food Editor. Her work has been cited in the Los Angeles Times, Business Insider, FoodBeast, The Huffington Post, Time.com and more. Subscribe Nation's Restaurant News Newsletters