Latest news with #ChargedLemonade
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
How to score free drinks at Panera Bread this summer
Panera Bread customers can score free beverages at participating US locations this summer. The restaurant chain is offering free drinks for the next three months to new Unlimited Sip Club members who sign up today through June 30. Beverages that are part of this deal include iced or hot teas and coffees, and several fountain drinks like Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and Mountain Dew. The special, dubbed 'Summer of Free Sips', was created in collaboration with Pepsi Starry soda brands. The chain also enlisted athlete and Dancing With the Stars contestant Ilona Maher to help announce the offer. Customers interested in joining the club can sign up online or through the Panera app after creating a MyPanera account. They must then choose a plan, which usually costs $14.99 per month or $119.99 per year. Customers are also able to get a new drink every two hours, according to the chain. Unlimited refills of self-serve beverages at participating locations is one of the perks that come with guests' existing accounts. The 38-year-old chain has been launching several new items and a menu haul since last year. Panera has made a variety of changes with its menu and axed its controversial Charged Lemonade . The beverage was said to have been linked to multiple deaths, including 21-year-old Sarah Katz. Katz, a loyal Panera customer, died in 2022 after suffering cardiac arrests following Charged Lemonade consumption. Her death led to lawsuits on behalf of others who allegedly died or were left with health conditions after drinking the beverage. The restaurant chain also faced backlash after closing its fresh dough factories to shift toward frozen bread . The factories were located in several states, including California, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Kansas, and North Carolina. The closures led to hundreds of layoffs for employees that Panera said would be offered job fairs, benefits, and reassignment opportunities. Besides 'Summer of Free Sips,' Panera Bread is busy promoting a variety of special store and menu items. The restaurant chain made headlines after offering a croissant clutch. The limited-time purse, which sold out in less than 48 hours, was worn by comedian Ego Nwodim at the Met Gala . The chain also began offering its all-new Croissant Toast Sandwiches in April, limited-time items Panera called an 'innovative gamechanger.' These sandwiches, along with its limited-time Strawberry Caprese Salads and its Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich, are still available at participating locations.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
How to snag free soda all summer from your favorite brands...including Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew
Panera Bread customers can score free beverages at participating US locations this summer. The restaurant chain is offering free drinks for the next three months to new Unlimited Sip Club members who sign up today through June 30. Beverages that are part of this deal include iced or hot teas and coffees, and several fountain drinks like Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, and Mountain Dew. The special, dubbed 'Summer of Free Sips', was created in collaboration with Pepsi Starry soda brands. The chain also enlisted athlete and Dancing With the Stars contestant Ilona Maher to help announce the offer. Customers interested in joining the club can sign up online or through the Panera app after creating a MyPanera account. They must then choose a plan, which usually costs $14.99 per month or $119.99 per year. Customers are also able to get a new drink every two hours, according to the chain. Unlimited refills of self-serve beverages at participating locations is one of the perks that come with guests' existing accounts. The 38-year-old chain has been launching several new items and a menu haul since last year. Panera has made a variety of changes with its menu and axed its controversial Charged Lemonade. The beverage was said to have been linked to multiple deaths, including 21-year-old Sarah Katz. Katz, a loyal Panera customer, died in 2022 after suffering cardiac arrests following Charged Lemonade consumption. Her death led to lawsuits on behalf of others who allegedly died or were left with health conditions after drinking the beverage. The restaurant chain also faced backlash after closing its fresh dough factories to shift toward frozen bread. The factories were located in several states, including California, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Kansas, and North Carolina. The closures led to hundreds of layoffs for employees that Panera said would be offered job fairs, benefits, and reassignment opportunities. Besides 'Summer of Free Sips,' Panera Bread is busy promoting a variety of special store and menu items. The restaurant chain made headlines after offering a croissant clutch. The limited-time purse, which sold out in less than 48 hours, was worn by comedian Ego Nwodim at the Met Gala. The chain also began offering its all-new Croissant Toast Sandwiches in April, limited-time items Panera called an 'innovative gamechanger.' These sandwiches, along with its limited-time Strawberry Caprese Salads and its Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich, are still available at participating locations. Panera, which has over 2,200 locations worldwide, aims to recover from last year's 5 percent sales dive. 'We're in the middle of a turnaround. We are taking a strategic look at where we are today and where we want to be three years from now,' said Brooke Buchanan, Panera's chief corporate affairs officer. has reached out to Panera for comment about the 'Summer of Free Sips' deal. 'Summer of Free Sips' beverages Hot Coffee Iced Coffee Hot Tea Iced Tea Lemonade Blueberry Lavender Lemonade Citrus Punch Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea Pepsi Diet Pepsi Starry Mountain Dew Bubly Lime Brisk Raspberry Tea Dr. Pepper Canada Dry Ginger Ale
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Panera is changing how it makes its bread... and it will make its sandwiches taste very different
Panera Bread is closing all its fresh dough factories in a shift towards frozen bread. The popular chain confirmed this week it will shutter all remaining factories within two years as part of a move toward an 'on-demand' baking model. Instead of mixing and shaping dough in-house, Panera will partner with third-party bakeries that follow its recipes. The bread will be par-baked, frozen, and then finished in stores throughout the day. 'This new model helps us to have greater availability of the breads our guests love, as well as to ensure quality, while allowing us to expand innovation and variety,' Panera Bread told The change means customers will no longer get bread baked fresh that morning, though Panera insists quality won't be compromised. The closures are part of a broader turnaround strategy led by new CEO Paul Carbone, which includes a major menu revamp. Facilities in Lenexa, Kansas, and Greensboro, North Carolina, will be among the first to close — impacting nearly 150 workers. The company has already shut down other dough facilities in California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, and Washington. Roughly 350 employees were laid off last year. With its existing centralized Fresh Dough Facilities, dough is prepped and then sent to 2,200 locations to be baked fresh daily. The new model shifts all early prep to external partners who will then deliver it frozen to stores. Panera says laid-off workers will be offered job fairs, benefits, and reassignment opportunities. The changes come as Panera battles slumping sales, which fell 5 percent last year to $6.1 billion. It also follows the nationwide removal of its controversial Charged Lemonade after the drink was linked to multiple deaths. Despite the shake-up, Panera says great bread will remain 'at the heart of the Panera experience.' The chain was also forced to phase out its controversial Charged Lemonade from stores nationwide after the drinks were linked to several deaths, including Sarah Katz, who had a pre-existing heart condition before her death in 2022. The brand is now part of parent company Panera Brands, which also owns Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels and is owned by Luxembourg-based conglomerate JAB Holding. CEO José Alberto Dueñas stepped down in January, and Paul Carbone, the company's CFO, has been named interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Meanwhile, rival Subway quietly shuttered 631 locations last year. It means the chain has fewer than 20,000 locations in the US for the first time in 20 years. It marks the eighth straight year Subway has shuttered restaurants in its home country. It peaked at around 27,000 stores in 2015. Despite the decline, Subway still holds the title of America's largest restaurant chain by location count.
USA Today
03-04-2025
- Health
- USA Today
New Jersey congressman proposes law after death of 21-year-old blamed on Panera lemonade
New Jersey congressman proposes law after death of 21-year-old blamed on Panera lemonade Show Caption Hide Caption Panera plans to remove 'Charged Lemonade' from menu Panera is moving its controversial and highly caffeinated 'Charged Lemonade' from its self-serve fountains behind the counter. This comes after a third lawsuit filed against Panera alleges the drink caused health problems. Fox - Seattle A newly proposed New Jersey bill aims to compel food chains to better label their caffeine products following the death of a 21-year-old student who went into cardiac arrest after consuming one of Panera Bread's highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drinks. The proposed legislation, the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, would require chains like Panera to disclose on menus and drive-thru kiosks is a product contains 150 mg or more of caffeine. It would also require energy drink manufacturers to clearly disclose the amount of caffeine on labels and push federal agencies to better study the effects of caffeine on certain communities, including adolescents and pregnant people. Initiatives to better educate the public on the impacts of caffeine are also detailed in the act and study on how caffeine is marketed toward children and teens. The bill, championed by Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., was initially introduced last year but didn't make it past the initial stages. It was introduced again in Katz's hometown of Jersey City this week and in a press conference on Monday, Menendez told reporters that the demands of the proposed legislation are "simple." 'It's simple. We want every consumer to know what they're drinking,' he said. 'These changes will ensure that everyone, no matter how old or young, can walk into a store or order off a menu and know with confidence how much caffeine is in their drink.' In a press statement issued Monday by Menendez's office, Katz's parents championed the bill. 'Regulation of highly caffeinated energy drinks, beverages, and food is needed for consumers to make informed choices for what is best for themselves and their families," said Jill and Michael Katz. 'The tragic loss of our dear daughter, Sarah, highlighted the tremendous risks that caffeine can pose to everyone, especially children, pregnant women, older adults, and vulnerable individuals. This legislation is an important step in the right direction.' Bill inspired by death blamed on Panera Charged Lemonade Panera's Charged Lemonade drinks were blamed for the deaths of two people, Katz and a 46-year-old Florida man, as well as "permanent" heart health issues alleged by a 28-year-old. The bill is named after the first alleged victim, 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz, who went into cardiac arrest and eventually died on Sept. 10, 2022, hours after drinking the lemonade. In a lawsuit, her family said Katz had a heart condition and intentionally avoided caffeine, accusing Panera of misleading marketing and inadequate labeling that led to Katz unknowingly consuming 390 mg - more caffeine than is in a typical energy drink. Panera added a warning label to the drinks in October 2023 after news of the Katz lawsuit broke. In a statement, the chain said they had "enhanced our existing caffeine disclosure for these beverages" out of "an abundance of caution." In January 2024, it removed the drinks from its self-serve section. In May 2024, the fast-casual chain announced it would be removing Charged Lemonade products from its menu nationwide. It said at the time that the change was part of a greater menu transformation. The chain has not admitted wrongdoing in any of the suits and previously said it felt the two wrongful death lawsuits were "without merit." Everything that's happened so far: Panera Charged Lemonade linked to alleged deaths, lawsuits What happened to Sarah Katz On Sept. 10, 2022, Sarah Katz drank a Charged Lemonade at a local Panera Bread. Having been diagnosed at a young age with a heart condition called QT syndrome type 1, Katz avoided energy drinks, according to the lawsuit filed later by her family. An avid Gatorade drinker, Katz's family believes she saw the "charged" in "Charged Lemonade" as referring to electrolytes, similar to Gatorade's marketing, and claims she saw no signs indicating the drinks had a high caffeine content. Using her Unlimited Sip Club membership, which allows you to fill your drink cup without additional cost, Katz got the drink. Hours later, she collapsed and fell into cardiac arrest. She was transported to a hospital where she went into another arrest and died. In a statement to USA TODAY at the time, a Panera spokesperson said: 'We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.' Panera was hit with multiple lawsuits after another death and injury were also blamed on the lemonade. Katz's family was the first to reach an undisclosed settlement with the chain in October after lodging a wrongful death suit. How much caffeine was in the Charged Lemonades? The Charged Lemonades had 260 milligrams of caffeine in a "regular" size drink and as much as 390mg in a large drink. Original ad materials for the lemonades compared the caffeine content to that of the brand's coffee. The Katz lawsuit pointed out, however, that the listed nutrition information measured only 214 mg in the regular-sized dark roast coffee and 268mg in the large. The recommended daily limit of caffeine for adults is up to 400mg, according to the Food and Drug Administration and Mayo Clinic, equal to about 4-5 average cups of brewed coffee.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New Jersey congressman proposes law after death of 21-year-old blamed on Panera lemonade
A newly proposed New Jersey bill aims to compel food chains to better label their caffeine products following the death of a 21-year-old student who went into cardiac arrest after consuming one of Panera Bread's highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade drinks. The proposed legislation, the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, would require chains like Panera to disclose on menus and drive-thru kiosks is a product contains 150 mg or more of caffeine. It would also require energy drink manufacturers to clearly disclose the amount of caffeine on labels and push federal agencies to better study the effects of caffeine on certain communities, including adolescents and pregnant people. Initiatives to better educate the public on the impacts of caffeine are also detailed in the act and study on how caffeine is marketed toward children and teens. The bill, championed by Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., was initially introduced last year but didn't make it past the initial stages. It was introduced again in Katz's hometown of Jersey City this week and in a press conference on Monday, Menendez told reporters that the demands of the proposed legislation are "simple." 'It's simple. We want every consumer to know what they're drinking,' he said. 'These changes will ensure that everyone, no matter how old or young, can walk into a store or order off a menu and know with confidence how much caffeine is in their drink.' In a press statement issued Monday by Menendez's office, Katz's parents championed the bill. 'Regulation of highly caffeinated energy drinks, beverages, and food is needed for consumers to make informed choices for what is best for themselves and their families," said Jill and Michael Katz. 'The tragic loss of our dear daughter, Sarah, highlighted the tremendous risks that caffeine can pose to everyone, especially children, pregnant women, older adults, and vulnerable individuals. This legislation is an important step in the right direction.' Panera's Charged Lemonade drinks were blamed for the deaths of two people, Katz and a 46-year-old Florida man, as well as "permanent" heart health issues alleged by a 28-year-old. The bill is named after the first alleged victim, 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz, who went into cardiac arrest and eventually died on Sept. 10, 2022, hours after drinking the lemonade. In a lawsuit, her family said Katz had a heart condition and intentionally avoided caffeine, accusing Panera of misleading marketing and inadequate labeling that led to Katz unknowingly consuming 390 mg - more caffeine than is in a typical energy drink. Panera added a warning label to the drinks in October 2023 after news of the Katz lawsuit broke. In a statement, the chain said they had "enhanced our existing caffeine disclosure for these beverages" out of "an abundance of caution." In January 2024, it removed the drinks from its self-serve section. In May 2024, the fast-casual chain announced it would be removing Charged Lemonade products from its menu nationwide. It said at the time that the change was part of a greater menu transformation. The chain has not admitted wrongdoing in any of the suits and previously said it felt the two wrongful death lawsuits were "without merit." Everything that's happened so far: Panera Charged Lemonade linked to alleged deaths, lawsuits On Sept. 10, 2022, Sarah Katz drank a Charged Lemonade at a local Panera Bread. Having been diagnosed at a young age with a heart condition called QT syndrome type 1, Katz avoided energy drinks, according to the lawsuit filed later by her family. An avid Gatorade drinker, Katz's family believes she saw the "charged" in "Charged Lemonade" as referring to electrolytes, similar to Gatorade's marketing, and claims she saw no signs indicating the drinks had a high caffeine content. Using her Unlimited Sip Club membership, which allows you to fill your drink cup without additional cost, Katz got the drink. Hours later, she collapsed and fell into cardiac arrest. She was transported to a hospital where she went into another arrest and died. In a statement to USA TODAY at the time, a Panera spokesperson said: 'We were very saddened to learn this morning about the tragic passing of Sarah Katz, and our hearts go out to her family. At Panera, we strongly believe in transparency around our ingredients. We will work quickly to thoroughly investigate this matter.' Panera was hit with multiple lawsuits after another death and injury were also blamed on the lemonade. Katz's family was the first to reach an undisclosed settlement with the chain in October after lodging a wrongful death suit. The Charged Lemonades had 260 milligrams of caffeine in a "regular" size drink and as much as 390mg in a large drink. Original ad materials for the lemonades compared the caffeine content to that of the brand's coffee. The Katz lawsuit pointed out, however, that the listed nutrition information measured only 214 mg in the regular-sized dark roast coffee and 268mg in the large. The recommended daily limit of caffeine for adults is up to 400mg, according to the Food and Drug Administration and Mayo Clinic, equal to about 4-5 average cups of brewed coffee. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Death linked to Panera Charged Lemonade inspires new caffeine law
