Lettuce introduce Panera Bread’s newest menu item.
The Salad Stuffers, available on menus nationwide Wednesday, turn the fast-casual chain’s salads into portable, sandwich‑style handhelds.
While any Panera salad can be ordered as a Stuffer, including the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken or a Caesar Salad, the chain is also launching two new options: the Steakhouse Salad Stuffer, featuring premium steak and complementary toppings, and the Santa Fe Salad Stuffer, inspired by bold Southwestern flavors.
During testing, the new concept — which will cost roughly between $8 to $13 — proved popular, with guests raving that they “couldn’t get enough of our new Italian Stuffer Roll,” according to Panera Chief Marketing Officer Mark Shambura.
Panera compares the Salad Stuffers to its soup bread bowls lineup.
“Just like soup in our bread bowl is the perfect match, Salad Stuffers bring salad and bread together in a way that is sure to be the next icon on the Panera menu,” Shambura said.
The launch is part of the company’s RISE transformation strategy, focused on menu innovation, enhanced customer experience, better value and growth across locations.
The rollout follows Panera’s recent menu enhancements, including the debut of a 10-item Mix & Match value menu, a first in the chain’s nearly 40-year history. For a flat price of $4.99, customers can build meals by combining half sandwiches, half salads, soup cups, and a rotating seasonal item, all while the classic You Pick Two menu remains available.
Last month, Panera unveiled a new beverage lineup, including Passionfruit Paradise and Dragonfruit Sunset Energy Refreshers, as well as Cherry Lime Fresca and the returning Strawberry Basil Lemonade Fresca.
Panera currently has 2,251 bakery-cafes across 48 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada, operating under the names Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co., according to the company. It’s part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast-casual companies in the U.S., which also includes Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.