What You Need To Know Before Ordering Soup At Panera Bread

Panera Bread definitely isn't one of the cheapest fast-food restaurants in America, but this comes with priding itself on being a healthier alternative to a midday McDonald's break. However, that image was shaken in 2019 when TikToker @briannaraelenee released a video called "Exposing Panera." In the video, an employee prepares the chain's mac and cheese, which is shown to come in frozen packets that are heated in hot water before serving. Immediately, backlash was leveled at the company, with many questioning just how fresh Panera's food really was.

Soon, the restaurant's soups faced further scrutiny following another TikTok video in 2021 by @ohana_trender, who showed that Panera's soup comes in frozen packets like the brand's mac and cheese. Naturally, many were caught off guard by this revelation, with some previously believing the brand's soups were made in-house.

However, according to a Panera employee on Reddit, Panera's soups are made off-site in a factory and transported to the restaurants while frozen in pre-portioned packets. These are then warmed in a rethermalizer, which uses hot water to heat and cook products evenly. Honestly, this isn't as shocking as it might seem. In fact, many fast casual restaurants use the same method. While it may seem counter to Panera's image, using frozen food can actually be extremely healthy in some circumstances, because it can preserve foods without harsh preservatives while maintaining nutritional value. 

When confronted by the public about using frozen items, Panera Bread spokesperson Jessica Hesselschwerdt told USA Today that the reason for using frozen products was to keep them fresh without the need for additional preservatives, which would be counter to the brand's "clean standards." Moreover, she stated that the method ensured that all Panera Bread locations could serve the same menu items without any difference in quality. 

Another key Hesselschwerdt touched on was efficiency, which all fast casual and fast food restaurants strive for. The key is in the name "fast," meaning customers expect their items to be delivered as quickly as possible. For this reason, restaurants like Panera simply don't have time to prepare everything from scratch. Relying on pre-portioned, frozen options not only helps expedite food delivery time but also guarantees consistent quality. That's why both the best soups and the best sandwiches at Panera always taste the same, no matter which location you go to.  

Furthermore, while not mentioned directly by Panera, using frozen food is also more convenient and often more cost-effective for restaurants because frozen meal components will last much longer than fresh ingredients, cutting down on potential waste due to spoilage. For instance, in the case of Panera Bread's soup, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that soups and stews can be safely stored for two to three months. While Panera Bread has never stated how long it stores frozen soup, timeframes like this can enable the restaurant to keep a backstock without worrying about running out of its most popular menu items.