Panera Bread
Balanced Simplicity
Panera Bread’s “Food as It Should Be” campaign, first launched in 2014, catalogues the restaurant chain’s journey towards serving only “100% clean” food. In January of 2017, it achieved its goal of completely eliminating artificial additives from its menu, thus addressing the aforementioned consumer desire for simpler ingredients. Panera Bread has also taken a hard line against sugary beverages. In a recent national survey it commissioned, researchers found that 83% of U.S. consumers underestimate the amount of sugar in a 20 fl. oz. serving of standard soda. To help educate consumers, Panera became the first national restaurant chain to post both added sugar and calories at the point of pour. As founder, chairman and CEO Ron Shaich said at the time: “We believe it’s up to companies to take the lead on transparency, not wait for legislation.” The company reports seeing customers begin to “trade from fountain soft drinks to [their] new, clean beverages.”