How to score free drinks at Panera Bread this summer
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.
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