Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade will soon be obsolete.
Restaurants have been told by the company to stop ordering the beverage in an effort to avoid an inventory glut
Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade will soon be obsolete.
Bloomberg, citing a memo it viewed from the restaurant chain, said Panera plans to stop serving the drink option nationwide and will replace it in the coming weeks. Restaurants have been told by the company to stop ordering the beverage in an effort to avoid an inventory glut, Bloomberg reports.
“We are excited to continue the success of our recent menu transformation, which began with our core options of sandwiches and salads,” a Panera spokesperson said in a statement to Quartz in reference to its revamp launch in February. The spokesperson added that Panera plans to focus on offering “low sugar and low-caffeine options.”
The enhanced beverage portfolio will include a new Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, Pomegranate Hibiscus Tea, Citrus Punch, and a Tropical Green Smoothie, the spokesperson said.
Panera’s removal of its Charged Lemonade may be in part due to numerous lawsuits the company has had to deal with in recent months, some of which allege the caffeinated drink led to deaths.
The drinks, once available for self-serve, were moved behind the counter in January 2024 following the lawsuit allegations. Since then, Panera has labeled the drinks on its website to read “contains caffeine.”
The punched-up Lemonade, which contains up to 237 milligrams of caffeine, was introduced in 2022 as part of Panera’s subscription program. The membership gives customers a free beverage every two hours.
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