PANERA has created several innovative menu items over the years, but some fans of the fast casual restaurant have been heartbroken to see their favorites disappear.
Panera first got its start in 1987 as a unique alternative to the less healthy fast food Americans had available.
It quickly rose to prominence across the country for its salads, soups, and sandwiches.
While Panera still offers a wide range of both light and hearty options for lunch or breakfast, customers have been missing four beloved items.
Menu entrees get discontinued for various reasons at restaurants all the time.
Sometimes stores get rid of products to simplify their menus if an item is more difficult to make, and this happened often during the pandemic.
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Customer complaints and supply chain issues can also get an entree booted from the menu.
However, most of the time, low sales performance is the ultimate reason why your favorite menu item got removed.
Here’s the full list of discontinued Panera menu items as some customers hold out on hope they could make a comeback.
1. SIERRA TURKEY SANDWICH
Nothing hits for your lunchtime meal quite like a classic turkey sandwich.
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Customers loved the Sierra Turkey Sandwich, which contained turkey breast, field greens, Asiago cheese focaccia, red onions, and chipotle mayo.
The sandwich was served warm and paired well with chips or an apple as a side.
While customers saw this as one of Panera’s most popular items, the chain ended up giving the sandwich the boot after trying to switch up its recipe.
When the Sierra Turkey Sandwich replaced its sauce and bread, sandwich sales went downhill fast.
The restaurant now sells a basic deli turkey sandwich, many Panera fans said it wasn't the same.
One Reddit user shared: "Sierra Turkey. Please come back. I love you."
2. BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI
While Panera may not be known for its pasta, there was a time when you could delight in butternut squash ravioli at any Panera restaurant.
The dish, which was served with plenty of sauce and cheese, was prominent during the mid 2000s, and it became especially popular during the fall months.
Part of the issue that may have led Panera to discontinue the item was not in its flavor, but instead in its serving size.
Customers routinely complained that the dish was overpriced and didn’t fill them up enough for such a high cost.
One customer went as far as to say the ravioli was a “rip off” on Trip Advisor.
“The shock was how small the portion was. I literally got six raviolis. Just regular fairly flat pieces for $8.39. Now I realize $8.39 is not a lot of money but it seems high compared to their other lunch deals they offer.”
Despite this, many fans still want the ravioli back.
“Why have you not brought this back? I demand squash pasta!” one customer wrote on Facebook.
3. CHIPOTLE CHICKEN PANINI
Another Panera fan favorite that was gone too soon was the Chipotle Chicken Panini.
The sandwich was filled with a special chipotle sauce on top of chicken, bacon, and spicy melted cheese on toasted panini bread.
When the menu item mysteriously disappeared in 2015, even die-hard Panera fans were shocked.
To deal with the aftermath, some customers even created t-shirts reading “The light has gone out of my life... #BringBacktheChipotleChickenPanini” alongside an image of the fallen sandwich.
While Panera has since introduced a Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, fans don’t think it can compare to the original panini.
“Craving this for lunch today, but Panera hasn't brought it back on their menu. Sign the petition, maybe they can hear the customers' wants!” one user wrote on Facebook.
Subsequently, the petition read:
“It is our right as customers to choose a healthy meal on the menu, not have our favorite panini removed from it. A lot of restaurants are choosing to remove fattening meals from their menu, however when we choose to go out to eat, we want to have our favorite greasy meals."
It continued: "It is good to have healthy meal options added in fast food restaurant chains, however our old-time favorites should NOT be VANISHED.”
4. RED VELVET CRINKLE COOKIES
Beyond Panera’s lunchtime salad bowls and sandwich staples, the chain has garnered quite a reputation for its delicious baked goods.
The Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies first made an appearance in 2012 during the holiday season.
The chain described the item as a “soft, brownie-like cookie based on the traditional red velvet cake with a chocolate undertone, containing cream cheese flavored chips throughout and rolled in powdered sugar.”
The soft cookies had a gooey, rich base that reminded customers of a traditional red velvet cake.
It disappeared as quickly as it first appeared as the restaurant made room for other cookie offerings.
When the cookie first came out, Panera customers were ecstatic, and many wish the sweet was still around today.
“This cookie is perfection and simply delicious, hope it remains on the menu even after the holidays have passed!” one fan shared on Facebook.
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Customers are also begging Pepsi to bring back an iconic soda flavor.
Plus, shoppers are hoping a Spiderman-themed popsicle could make a comeback soon.
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