Panera Bread rolled out a new sandwich carrier Wednesday, baking its buttery croissant dough into a flaky, layered bread for a new menu item: Croissant Toast Sandwiches.
The toasty sandwiches are available for a limited time in two variations. Croque Monsieur Croissant Toast features Black Forest ham, melted provolone and asiago cheeses and a caramelized-onion-and-gruyere spread, while Fromage Croissant Toast combines provolone and American cheeses, caramelized onions, arugula and garlic aioli.
The St. Louis-based fast-casual launched the new sandwiches as part of its Spring menu refresh, which also includes a new Strawberry Caprese Salad and the return of its Strawberry Poppyseed Salad and Mexican Corn Chowder. They tie into Panera’s “It Just Meals Good” brand campaign, which debuted last week. The messaging is designed to reinforce how the chain’s menu brings comfort and flavor to everyday moments.
“Our new Croissant Toasts are an innovative game-changer for our sandwich menu,” said Scott Uehlein, Panera’s VP of culinary, in a statement. “These unique sandwiches are curated with an all-butter, flaky croissant sliced bread, delivering a truly delicious product and experience like nothing Panera has had on its menu before. The perfect balance of a crisp crust and buttery, layered interior makes these menu items truly special.”
Panera is placing more emphasis on bread, a core item that was the foundation of the bakery café back when the first location opened in 1987. In recent months, the chain has closed about half of its fresh dough facilities, transitioning to third-party bakeries to par-bake and freeze dough that can be baked at Panera locations throughout the day.
Last April, Panera Bread overhauled its menu, eliminating categories like flatbread pizzas to focus on sandwiches, salads, soups and mac & cheese. The new Croissant Toast Sandwiches are in sync with that new menu direction.
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