Panera Bread Says It Plans to Offer More Grains and Plant-based Foods

Panera Bread’s CEO Niren Chaudhary announced this week to CNBC that the company would be adding more grains, plant-based options, and high-quality lean-cut meats to its menu.

Chaudhary, who became CEO about six months ago, said that the company’s grain bowl launch was its most successful menu introduction in the last three or four years.

“In the first two, three months, we’ve sold over 5 million grain bowls,” he said.

The company’s plant-based options will focus on whole foods derived from plants.

“In the coming years, we want to have more grain options for our consumers, more plant-based options for our consumers and more high-quality lean-cut meats,” CEO Chaudhary said in the interview on Thursday.

Last year Panera Bread expanded its breakfast offerings, began testing a dinner menu, partnered with third-party delivery services and launched grain bowls.

Chaudhary revealed that Panera is going to try to increase its plant-based options from 25% of its menu to 50%. In 2021, consumers can expect new plant-based products from the sandwich chain in every category.

“We are going after plant-based maybe a little bit differently than the industry is going after,” said Sara Burnett, vice president of wellness and food policy, although “faux meats are a long-term trend and they’re definitely a great solution for our guests or for some guests at different restaurants, as a transition product.”

“You look at a lot of other concepts, and they’re going to have a paleo, a keto, [or other] diet curated path,” Burnett said.

“At Panera, we have a plant-based, a nutrient-rich and a protein-rich [menu. It’s about what you add to your diet,” Burnett added.