Latest news with #SarahKatz
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Panera settles remaining lawsuits over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade
Panera Bread has settled three remaining lawsuits that it faced over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade, a beverage blamed for two deaths and various permanent injuries. Plaintiffs' attorney Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter, PC, confirmed Wednesday that 'the matters have all been resolved.' She said she could not comment any further. Panera also confirmed the legal developments, which were reported first by NBC News, but declined to answer any additional questions. Charged Lemonade made headlines in October 2023 when the parents of a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition filed a lawsuit alleging that their daughter, Sarah Katz, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after consuming a cup of the drink. Panera settled that suit last October, which was the first of at least four that were filed against the bakery-cafe chain. A second lawsuit alleged that the drink caused the death of 46-year-old Florida resident Dennis Brown after he drank three Charged Lemonades. The other two legal complaints alleged the beverage resulted in serious cardiac problems in two previously healthy people: 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt of Rhode Island, and Luke Adams, a Pennsylvania teenager whose lawsuit said he had to be resuscitated hours after he drank a Charged Lemonade. Crawford represented the plaintiffs in all four cases. Court records showed the remaining three lawsuits were listed on Monday as dismissed with prejudice, meaning the cases cannot be refiled again in the same courts. The cases had previously been scheduled to go to trial. The lawsuits had referred to Charged Lemonade as a 'dangerous energy drink' and accused Panera of failing to appropriately warn customers about its ingredients. When served without ice, a large, 30-fluid-ounce size contained 390 milligrams of caffeine — just barely under the 400 milligrams of caffeine that the Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can safely consume in a day. Charged Lemonade also contained guarana extract, another stimulant. Panera has denied wrongdoing in court documents. Following the lawsuit over Katz's death, the chain made a number of changes, including moving the beverage behind the counter so it was no longer a self-serve offering. It also added signs cautioning that Charged Lemonade should be consumed in moderation and was not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or pregnant or nursing women. Panera removed the controversial beverage from its stores nationwide in May 2024, which it said was a part of a 'recent menu transformation.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- NBC News
Panera settles remaining lawsuits over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade
Panera Bread has settled three remaining lawsuits that it faced over its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade, a beverage blamed for multiple deaths and permanent injuries. Plaintiffs' attorney Elizabeth Crawford, a partner at the Philadelphia law firm Kline & Specter, PC, confirmed Wednesday that 'the matters have all been resolved.' She said she could not comment any further. Panera also confirmed the legal developments, which were reported first by NBC News, but declined to answer any additional questions. Charged Lemonade made headlines in October 2023 when the parents of a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student with a heart condition filed a lawsuit alleging that their daughter, Sarah Katz, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after consuming a cup of the drink. Panera settled that suit last October, which was the first of at least four that were filed against the bakery-cafe chain. A second lawsuit alleged that the drink caused the death of 46-year-old Florida resident Dennis Brown after he drank three Charged Lemonades. The other two legal complaints alleged the beverage resulted in serious cardiac problems in two previously healthy people: 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt of Rhode Island, and Luke Adams, a Pennsylvania teenager whose lawsuit said he had to be resuscitated hours after he drank a Charged Lemonade. Crawford represented the plaintiffs in all four cases. Court records showed the remaining three lawsuits were listed on Monday as dismissed with prejudice, meaning the cases cannot be refiled again in the same courts. The cases had previously been scheduled to go to trial. The lawsuits had referred to Charged Lemonade as a 'dangerous energy drink' and accused Panera of failing to appropriately warn customers about its ingredients. When served without ice, a large, 30-fluid-ounce size contained 390 milligrams of caffeine — just barely under the 400 milligrams of caffeine that the Food and Drug Administration says healthy adults can safely consume in a day. Charged Lemonade also contained guarana extract, another stimulant. Panera has denied wrongdoing in court documents. Following the lawsuit over Katz's death, the chain made a number of changes, including moving the beverage behind the counter so it was no longer a self-serve offering. It also added signs cautioning that Charged Lemonade should be consumed in moderation and was not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, or pregnant or nursing women. Panera removed the controversial beverage from its stores nationwide in May 2024, which it said was a part of a 'recent menu transformation.'
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.
