Panera Bread Adds Flatbread Pizza to Menu

In response to fans who have been requesting it for years, Panera announces the launch of flatbread pizza. Although it has a reputation as a casual lunch chain, offering soups, salads and sandwiches, Panera has been focusing on expanding its dinner offerings in recent years. The company had been considering adding pizza to the menu for a while, and they tested it out at a few pilot locations last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted consumer breakfast behavior and breakfast menu sales dropped. The change has made many restaurants like Panera to start shifting their focus towards dinner items.

“As restaurant traffic across the industry increasingly shifts to later in the day, Flatbread Pizzas allow Panera to further compete across dayparts and appeal to off-premise consumer preferences,” the company said in a press release. The company says its delivery business has doubled during the pandemic.

The pizzas at Panera will be available in cheese, Margherita and chipotle chicken & bacon flavors and will range from USD8 – USD9 each.

“At Panera, baking is at the core of who we are and what we’re known for – we knew that we had all the elements to bring our delicious, hearty flatbreads to life,” said Claes Petersson, Panera’s chief food and innovation officer, in a statement. “With the launch of flatbread pizza, we are looking to redefine the expectation of pizza and carve out a niche for Panera in the pizza category.”