What Happened To Panera Bread's Double Bread Bowl?
When it comes to ordering food at Panera Bread, much like the name implies, it really is all about the bread. From the best and worst of Panera's sandwiches to the neat bread ordering hack that can help customers save money, it is undeniable that bread is at the heart of what Panera Bread does. Even the company's other dishes, like soup, can include bread, either as a side or as a literal bowl.
Of course, the only thing better than one bread bowl is two bread bowls. Panera understood this and, at one point, offered a double bread bowl. The product had a brief run during the Valentine's Day season of 2019, but has not reappeared since, supposedly due to low sales.
The double bread bowl was simply a larger loaf of bread with two hollowed-out sections for soup instead of one. Customers could mix and match two of Panera Bread's signature soups in one order. As delicious as this idea was, and as much as many customers seemed to enjoy it, the double bread bowl sadly is no longer available at Panera.
The beginning and the end of the double bread bowl
Before Panera briefly put the double bread bowl on the menu in 2019, the double bread had a testing phase in the summer of 2018. The product had a limited run in Philadelphia, specifically, from August 5 to August 31. During that time, customers could choose any pairing of mac and cheese or soup for their double bread bowl; the test run even had a delivery option available.
The double bread bowl gained traction online and did relatively well during its trial phase in Philadelphia. As such, Panera moved forward with bringing the double bread bowl to the menu once again. The company later announced another limited run of the product in 2019, this time nationwide, from February 14 to February 28 to celebrate Valentine's Day. The goal was to promote the product as a cute, shareable item for couples.
Despite the traction the double bread bowl had gained online after its testing phase, the hype for the product had fizzled out quite a bit by the time Valentine's Day 2019 rolled around. The item disappeared quietly from menus after February 28, 2019 and has not returned since, making it another one of Panera Bread's little-known secrets.