Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a comment from Panera.
Dive Brief:
- Panera has added a Market Bowls category as part of its summer menu launch, the company said Wednesday.
- The fast casual chain is offering three chef-curated bowls for $9.99 featuring “elevated ingredients” such as seasoned, diced chicken, slow-roasted pulled pork and a new smoky lemon vinaigrette and creamy garden herb dressings. A Panere spokesperson said most of the summer menu additions are permanent.
- The bowls, as well as a menu of summer drinks, salads and protein-packed breakfast frittatas, mark the latest menu innovation from Panera as part of its Panera RISE strategy, announced last fall.
Dive Insight:
Panera is actively updating its menu under the RISE plan. So far this year, it has added energy refreshers and frescas, a Mix & Match menu, brought back Asiago Bagel Stacks for a limited time and launched Stuffers, which allow customers to turn any salad into a handheld, sandwich-like item.
Menu innovation has been a key tenet of its turnaround strategy to help bring back customers it lost over the past few years as a result of ingredient swaps, menu changes and shifts in operations that led to a poorer customer experience, according to Business Insider.
CEO Paul Carbone told the publication that one of his biggest regrets was signing off as CFO on swapping romaine lettuce for a mix of iceberg and romaine. Lower quality ingredients, the removal of fan favorites and fewer affordable options led to a decline in customer visits, Business Insider said.
The 2026 summer menu update includes new pantry ingredients, such as shrimp, as part of three new salads: Shrimply Baja, Farmhouse Crunch and Ultimate Garden Steak. The chain expanded its refreshers lineup with the addition of an Island Mango Energy Refresher and its cold coffee options with Cafe Blend Iced Coffees and Frozen Javas. The company also added its Asiago Croissant Twists to its premium side options for a $1 upcharge.
"Our Panera summer menu updates reflect the work we're doing across the menu to bring guests more of what they love — delicious flavor, high-quality ingredients and elevated options from breakfast to dinner,” Mark Shambura, Panera’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Panera has offered bowls. In 2019, it added a warm grain bowl menu category with the launch of the Baja Grain Bowl and Mediterranean Grain Bowl, both of which have since been removed from the menu.
