Panera plans to slash meat from half of
its menu as customers seek vegetarian
options and fear of climate change heats up
Business Insider,
by
Kate Taylor
Original Article
Posted By: NorthernDog,
1/11/2020 10:26:24 AM
Panera wants half of its menu to be plant-based, as customers ditch meat and climate change molds strategy. CEO Niren Chaudhary told Business Insider that, over the next several years, Panera plans to have at least 50% of its menu be made up of plant-based offerings. Chaudhary said the company plans to have plant-based innovation in every category in 2021. (Snip) Chaudhary said that "flexitarian" customers are increasingly seeking out plant-based menu items and cutting back on the amount of meat they eat, driven by nutrition, animal welfare, and concerns regarding climate change and sustainability. "Consumers are more and more
Reply 1 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/11/2020 10:29:58 AM (No. 285401)
We ate at a very nice-looking Panera when it first opened some years ago in nearby Pasadena. The quality was so poor, we have never been tempted to go back.
What is with “flexitarian”? Saw that word in an article where it described Meghan Markle. ???
18 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/11/2020 10:32:00 AM (No. 285408)
PS to Mr. Choudhary…
Maybe in India, but here we get hungry and look for nice sandwiches full of meat and other tasty ingredients. I don’t believe I have ever given a thought to "nutrition, animal welfare, and concerns regarding climate change and sustainability” when I’m having a fast food meal...
37 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
bad-hair 1/11/2020 10:35:26 AM (No. 285411)
Ditto #1. for some reason they are very overrated. I have had better soup out of a can and i'd rather make my own and freeze it.
25 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
seamusm 1/11/2020 10:36:34 AM (No. 285414)
Might as well close the Texas stores now.
37 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/11/2020 10:38:00 AM (No. 285415)
PS #2: Just looked at Choudhary’s bio. (I find that to be instructive when someone is pontificating.) How did he pull off this “healthy” vegetarian schtick when he was a senior officer at KFC and president of Krispy Kreme Donuts? Was he responsible for the ruin of KFC? (We used to love it. Long, long ago.)
31 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
MMC 1/11/2020 10:46:28 AM (No. 285428)
A Flexitarian is what most Americans are!! We don’t have to have meat at every meal.. we can have a veggie meal at lunch, steak at dinner.. it is flexible!!
Cute word to wrap up diet choice not offending vegans!!
17 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
hisself 1/11/2020 10:46:32 AM (No. 285429)
Wee, duh!!
5 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 1/11/2020 10:53:47 AM (No. 285444)
I’ll make a deal with all the vegetarian and vegan people. I don’t tell you what to eat and you don’t tell me what to eat.
53 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
edgar 1/11/2020 10:54:11 AM (No. 285446)
I believe Chaudhary translates in English to Chowderhead. Does this mean that half of their breads/pastries will be made without eggs or is animal protein acceptable for 'flexitarians' provided it is not the dreaded animal flesh? Start the count for the number of Panera locations that will close in 2020.
35 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Troutgreen 1/11/2020 10:57:38 AM (No. 285449)
Virtue signaling their way to oblivion. Meh... medocre food at premium prices. Won't be missed.
33 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
edgar 1/11/2020 10:59:21 AM (No. 285452)
Poster #1, Flexitarian - a person that self identifies as a vegetarian, but still eats meat.
21 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
BirdsNest 1/11/2020 11:00:25 AM (No. 285454)
Subway changed their meats, don't eat there anymore. Have never eaten at Panera, don't ever plan to now
16 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
hershey 1/11/2020 11:04:35 AM (No. 285459)
Doesn't matter to me...they can do what they want since their 'gun free zone' policy caused me to cross them off my eating list...
20 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
earlybird 1/11/2020 11:10:53 AM (No. 285468)
A tip from someone who worked with a major restaurant company and once even owned a restaurant:
Vegetables are much cheaper than meats. (You knew that.)
Wages in restaurants are up due to mandated increases in minimum wage.
Voila! We cannot do anything about the increased wages, so we’ll go vegetarian to a great degree to lower the cost of food.
It’s simple economics. Not all that snowflakey balderdash Choudhary is spewing.
What he isn’t factoring in is the reduction in revenue that will occur when the not so flexible patrons move on to a place where they can get meat sandwiches.
28 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
bassman 1/11/2020 11:11:48 AM (No. 285469)
Most of the items on the menu that have meat are not good. The only meat item that is good is the Cuban sandwich. If they cut that there is no reason for me to go.
8 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
GoodDeal 1/11/2020 11:13:53 AM (No. 285472)
I’ve never really liked Panera. Went there for a grilled cheese and tomato soup and it was really horrible. I could have made a can of Campbell’s tomato soup with all milk, and a grilled cheese made with sourdough and Velveeta cheese and been much more satisfied. If they just stayed out of political insanity and just feed people food they want they would be in much better shape. I’m not going back.
20 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
ho72 1/11/2020 11:17:07 AM (No. 285478)
Meh. I eat there once in a blue moon, probably less. Less now for sure.
As the old saying goes: If God hadn't intended for us to eat animals He wouldn't have made them out of meat.
14 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
cor-vet 1/11/2020 11:17:15 AM (No. 285479)
I've never eaten at Panera and now, probably never will. I love meat, even in my salads, if I'm eating healthy. I will eschew meat in a salad, if I can get shrimp instead.
8 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
franq 1/11/2020 11:17:25 AM (No. 285480)
Get woke, go broke. Got tired of paying $8 for $2 of food.
18 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
Historybuff 1/11/2020 11:20:25 AM (No. 285484)
I've been eating plant based meat all my life.
Cows eat grass. . . I eat cows.
31 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
bigfatslob 1/11/2020 11:28:01 AM (No. 285495)
Panera, aren't they the ones that had the TV commercial with people scarfing down food like wild animals? I never got the gist or message portrayed instead of eating politely with good food in front of them.
Wasn't it Panera who tried and failed with the experiment of 'pay what you think it's worth' then announce stopping it within a year? I still don't understand what eating meat or being a human weed eater has to do with climate change.
9 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
rubberneck 1/11/2020 11:32:31 AM (No. 285499)
I thank the kale and tofu people for balancing things out and keeping our planet enticingly cool! (Despite the global warming, it's still my favorite!)
As for me, my favorite foods are those that used to moo, oink, and cluck! And the only time I've indulged in Panera, was when somebody else was buyin'!
Peace out.
13 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
bamboozle 1/11/2020 11:38:01 AM (No. 285504)
Panera...you can buy better but you can't pay more.
13 people like this.
I assume Panera plans to slash sales, too.
13 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
jacksin5 1/11/2020 11:43:48 AM (No. 285510)
Someone please explain the difference between "Flexitarian" and "Omnivore".
11 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
Northcross 1/11/2020 11:56:58 AM (No. 285520)
More accurate Headline: "Panera lays out strategic plan to go out of business within five years."
22 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
Smart11344 1/11/2020 12:32:29 PM (No. 285555)
I've only been to Panera's once. Some friends too me there. I haven't had the urge to go back.
7 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
DVC 1/11/2020 12:47:11 PM (No. 285568)
More climate change insanity, rippling through society. Fools being taken for a ride.
16 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
Rather Read 1/11/2020 1:07:14 PM (No. 285585)
I've eaten there a time or two but I wasn't all that impressed. There's a local restaurant where I live that has much better sandwiches for a lot less. Shop local.
12 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
kdog 1/11/2020 2:07:52 PM (No. 285612)
Good. More meat for me.
9 people like this.
Reply 31 - Posted by:
spacer 1/11/2020 2:14:49 PM (No. 285620)
Chaudhary is on a very long list of Indians that came to America, feted and ballyhooed to the rafters for the artsy reverence of all things spiritual. When in fact they are more charlatan, ala the Indian Gurus that flooded America in the 60s ,than they could ever be American.The bio of him and his family is fit for a guru.
6 people like this.
Reply 32 - Posted by:
BigGeorgeTX 1/11/2020 2:39:10 PM (No. 285642)
Climate change virtue signaling by the Indian (likely vegetarian) CEO of Panera bread. I think he'll discover not as many of his customers are "woke" and sales will slip. Whether (s)he is held accountable by the stockholders remains to be seen.
7 people like this.
Reply 33 - Posted by:
Califedup 1/11/2020 2:48:50 PM (No. 285652)
Get woke go broke, in this case go meatless go broke. If you own Panera stock, dump it now!
6 people like this.
Reply 34 - Posted by:
kono 1/11/2020 3:15:21 PM (No. 285672)
Never tried any of Panera's soup or sandwich offerings. Their cinnamon rolls and coffee were above average, though. They were, for me, a compromise between Peets and Starbucks and the local donut shop, but where there was actually room to walk between the tables and their microwave could be used by customers, not just employees. The cleanliness of each different Panera's seemed to reflect the neighborhood where it was located (and whatever priority people there placed on keeping their own homes or businesses presentable and safe).
If the meat items they replace were not particularly good sellers, anyway, then this shift can be done without necessarily killing their profitability.
1 person likes this.
Reply 35 - Posted by:
DVC 1/11/2020 3:56:15 PM (No. 285702)
Excellent point, #20. I will remember that the next time I am harangued by a vegari-nut.
1 person likes this.
Reply 36 - Posted by:
HammerDax56 1/11/2020 5:43:06 PM (No. 285760)
That should cool us all off to around 68 degrees.
0 people like this.
Reply 37 - Posted by:
red1066 1/11/2020 5:58:16 PM (No. 285771)
The only time I think about climate change is when I'm behind some truck spewing out large clouds of black smoke and wondering why those things get a pass on emissions tests that cars have to go through.
1 person likes this.
Reply 38 - Posted by:
Petronius 1/11/2020 6:06:04 PM (No. 285775)
Get Woke, Go Broke. Dump your Panera stock now.
0 people like this.
Reply 39 - Posted by:
Trigger2 1/11/2020 8:41:39 PM (No. 285848)
Only a shrunk brain goes to Panera.
0 people like this.
Reply 40 - Posted by:
Sergeant Major 1/11/2020 8:48:18 PM (No. 285852)
Only ate there once, was not impressed. Then they declared themselves a gun free zone. Bye
1 person likes this.
Reply 41 - Posted by:
rytwng 1/11/2020 10:15:32 PM (No. 285884)
There are many other places to eat meat. I love global warming the more the better, I hate cold weather.
1 person likes this.
Reply 42 - Posted by:
glcinpdx 1/11/2020 11:15:20 PM (No. 285903)
No thanks. I'll stick with a nice BLT with fries at my local diner...
1 person likes this.
Reply 43 - Posted by:
DVC 1/12/2020 12:04:57 AM (No. 285923)
More of their menu that I will ignore on the rare occasions that my wife insists that we eat there.
2 people like this.
Reply 44 - Posted by:
Lawsy0 1/12/2020 1:04:11 AM (No. 285945)
Panera is getting above its raising. There is a store very close to me. My husband loved the place and I tolerated it. It was to me just a bread store that served soup and salad. They thought doing delivery would help them. Maybe it did. This wont help them much, IMO.
1 person likes this.
Reply 45 - Posted by:
moebellini3 1/12/2020 10:58:49 AM (No. 286304)
The pure ignorance of people is appalling. These climate fraudsters now cling to scare tactics to move their agenda forward. And the gullible believe them. How about telling these ignorant gullible that not one of their predictions over the last 30 years has come true. And we know for a fact that their studies are based on fraudulent computer models. How many time do they have to be caught cooking the books before people realize that this is a total hoax to steal YOUR money. Get it yet...
0 people like this.
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