Panera Bread
www.panerabread.com
Last verified 4/11
Reminder: You must take the responsibility of being vigilant by always reconfirming the GF status of a menu item and addressing cross-contamination issues each and every time.
Panera Bread is a casual restaurant that specializes in soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Panera daily rotates their soups. The soups offered for a particular day is available on their website on that day. There are seasonal offerings that vary, as well as regional offerings.
The following was sent by email from Pat,
Customer Comment Coordinator on 4/11/11:
"Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. I have included below a list of our menu items that do not contain gluten-containing ingredients. However, because we bake fresh bread daily in our bakery-cafes and bread is core to our menu, we simply cannot ensure that there has been no contact between these items, or any other menu items, and gluten.
Not all of the items listed are currently on our menu and some new menu items have not yet been evaluated for the purposes of inclusion on this list. However, you can find complete ingredients listings for current menu items on our website. (When you choose a menu item in our online Nutrition Calculator, click on the "ingredients" link for ingredients information for that item.)
Please note that nutritional information on our website is updated periodically. New products may be available in our bakery-cafes before a periodic update of this site. In addition, some menu items may be available only on a regional, test or seasonal basis. Nutritional information about these menu items is available at the participating bakery-cafes. Tests of new recipes of existing products may be conducted from time to time in certain markets. These new recipes may contain different/additional ingredients, including allergens, as compared to the original version. For the most update-to-date information, please call or visit your nearest bakery-cafe to speak with a manager."
**Although we try to meet your special requirements, we cannot ensure that these items have not come into contact with gluten in our bakery-café.
** Gorgonzola and bleu cheeses are commonly made with mold incubated on wheat. Some may choose to avoid these cheeses for this reason and you may substitute another cheese if you prefer. Items containing these ingredients are indicated below with (G) or (BC).
Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean
Creamy Tomato (without croutons)
(including the salad dressing)
(source of modified food starch is corn)
Greek Salad Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (without croutons)
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)
Classic Cafe Salad
Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (G)
Chopped Chicken Cobb Salad (G)
BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad
Fruit Cup
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar
Greek
Asian Sesame Vinaigrette
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
BBQ Ranch
Coffee
Juice, both apple and orange
Lemonade
Milk
Soda, fountain and bottled
Tea, regular and Chai Tea
All lattes & Frozen beverages
Low-fat Strawberry Smoothie
Low-Fat Black Cherry Smoothie
Low-Fat Mango Smoothie
Low-fat Wild Berry Smoothie
Strawberry Lemonade
Hot Chocolate
Panera Bread Potato Chips
9/09:
"I'm allergic to wheat and have concerns about the Panera Restaurant in Escondido. I plan to write directly to the company but this will be something for folks to watch for at any restaurant.
Several years ago, I ordered a sandwich without the bread at lunchtime, saying that I just wanted the meat and cheese without any bread, to sit on the plate; I'd eat it with a fork. My meal came to me on bread. I was new to this allergy stuff and, since I don't have a severe allergy reaction and figured it was my fault for going to a bakery for lunch, opted to remove the bread and clean the contents as well as I could before eating it.
More recently, at the same restaurant, I ordered a Caesar salad and specifically stated, loud and clear, that I'm allergic to wheat and would need the salad without croutons. The salad arrived at our table - with croutons. I told the server that I'm allergic to wheat and asked him to replace the salad. He came back moments later - obviously with the same salad, that someone had handpicked the croutons from but left crumbs behind. Feeling that we need to advocate for ourselves, I personally took the salad back to the cashiers this time and explained that I could not eat the salad and asked for a smoothie instead, feeling that I'd rather not risk another mistake and that they'd be less likely to have a problem with that. The person in charge apologized and offered to re-make the salad - while I watched - and I accepted the offer.
This isn't necessarily a reflection on Panera, but a reminder that many people just don't understand gluten/wheat problems. I've been told several times that a food was fine for me - that it was "vegan." I'm glad to see support groups encouraging people with special dietary needs help create awareness about food sensitivities - someday everyone will "get it." I hope!
Thank you for your efforts."
Carol Rea,
Escondido
12/08
"You CAN go to Panera Bread for lunch! They have gluten-free items
listed in a big notebook that the manager should be able to check with
you. I advise doing this when the restaurant isn't too busy. When I
did this they had salads and soups available for Celiacs. I asked that
my salad be made with ingredients from the "back" rather than the bar
from which the staff make everyone's salad. Also, Panera Bread buys
their bread dough in dough form and does not make it in house.
Therefore, there should not be any flour in the air. - Rebecca T.,
Lancaster, CA
5/08
"You CAN buy a sandwich without the bread, either as a lettuce wrap or with the fillings on a plate to be put on your own GF bread (and every Panera has a regular toaster hidden somewhere near the coffee, which you can use with your Toastabags). Further, you can ask for any sandwich filling to be served as a salad topping. Just don't make a bunch of special requests when there is a long line at the height of the lunch rush, since that is when mistakes are most likely to happen."
Chandra (who works p/t at Panera)
3/08
This email was sent on the SillyYak site in response to someone saying they'd never eat at Panera because of flour in the air:
"I went on a field trip with my children for school to our local Panera
Bread. I was worried about flour in the air. They assured me that
they receive dough at the local store which is made at another location
(not at the store). So there was no flour in the air and we had a
wonderful field trip. (I only know this about my local store.)
However, I have never eaten anything there and now I am glad to choose
from their GF choices!" - Rebecca, 7 years GF
3/08
"I work part-time at Panera (because I love it; it doesn't pay enough to do it for money) and the only loose flour in the air is RICE FLOUR. All baked items come pre-made from the company commissary daily for fresh items (breads) or arrive frozen once a week, so there is no mixing going on. Rice flour is used for dusting, for the exact purpose that it DOESN'T hang in the air, and makes a less sticky finished product!
What you have to watch for in terms of CC is -- make sure gloves are changed before your food is prepared, and if you are uncertain, ask for a fresh package of something to be opened. Soups are rarely prone to CC, because it would be REAL obvious if something like a noodle from the chicken soup got into the black bean soup, and the manager should order that whole batch to be thrown out -- not because of gluten but because the black bean soup is VEGETARIAN and the chicken soup isn't! But the soups are kept pretty well segregated anyway. I get the black bean soup regularly (and a half Greek Salad with pepper mustard chicken) and have never had a problem, in spite of getting more and more sensitive the longer I'm GF.
I can tell you also that all the sliced meats are GF, and if you go when it's not busy, you can ask for a 'sandwich' without bread but with extra lettuce leaves (to make your own roll-ups) or get the Italian Combo meat and cheese on a Classic Cafe salad, for a "Chef Salad." If you do get the meat to make roll-ups or bring your own GF bread (pre-toasted or bring Toastabags -- there should be a regular toaster available somewhere near the coffee service at most locations), be sure to tell them you have a "wheat allergy" and no crumbs can touch your food, and also do not use the condiments that are served on the sandwiches, get packets of mayo and/or mustard which should also be available at all locations. All items are prepped separately using food safety guidelines, so it should be possible to minimize/eliminate the possibility of gluten if they know to change gloves and possibly open a fresh bag of meat (or package of cheese or pan of lettuce) to avoid CC. (Please don't go at the peak of lunch hour when there's a long line and expect them to be able to take extra care -- go when it's not busy!!!)"
Chandra to SillyYak site
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