Raisin bagels are a popular breakfast and snack item, loved for their hint of sweetness. Many people enjoy stopping by their local bakery or cafe to pick up a freshly baked raisin bagel. Panera Bread is a popular bakery-cafe chain known for breads, pastries, sandwiches, soups and more. But does Panera have raisin bagels on their menu?
About Panera Bread
Panera Bread is an American chain of bakery-cafe fast casual restaurants with over 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada. The company started in 1981 under the name St. Louis Bread Company. In 1997, the name was changed to Panera, derived from the Spanish word for “bread basket” or “bread pan.”
Panera’s menu focuses on high quality, fresh baked goods, sandwiches, salads and soups. They are best known for their specialty artisan breads, baked fresh in-store daily. Panera’s menu also features wraps, pastries, breakfast items, coffee and other beverages. Many of their locations have a cafe seating area for dining in. Panera caters to those looking for a quick, yet higher quality meal than traditional fast food.
Panera’s Bakery Selection
Panera offers a wide variety bakery items:
- Breads – Baguettes, country loaves, whole grain loaves and more
- Bagels – Plain, blueberry, cinnamon crunch, asiago cheese
- Pastries – Muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, cookies
- Sweets – Brownies, cake slices, doughnuts
Their bakery selection focuses on traditional American flavors along with some unique creations like their asiago cheese bagel. Many of the bakery items can be customized with spreads like cream cheese or peanut butter.
Do They Offer Raisin Bagels?
So in looking at their typical bakery offerings, raisin bagels are notably absent from Panera’s menu. Panera does not offer raisin bagels as one of their regular bagel choices.
Here is a summary of the bagel options currently on their menu:
| Bagel Flavor |
|---|
| Plain |
| Blueberry |
| Cinnamon Crunch |
| Asiago Cheese |
As you can see, raisin is not one of their pre-set bagel offerings. The flavors are relatively limited compared to other bakery chains.
Reasons Why Raisin Bagels May Not Be On the Menu
There are a few potential reasons why raisin bagels are not part of Panera’s regular bagel selection:
- Limited bakery production space – With fresh in-store baking, there are limits to how many bakery varieties they can produce in each location.
- Focus on mainstream flavors – Panera seems to stick to more common, familiar bagel flavors that appeal to a wide audience.
- Difficulty keeping raisins in supply – Raisins are a seasonal product and can be expensive. Keeping ample stock of quality raisins may be challenging.
- Concerns about waste – Raisin bagels may not sell quickly enough before going stale, increasing food waste concerns.
By concentrating on their most popular bagel varieties, Panera can streamline production and keep costs down. This allows them to offer fresh bakery items daily. Less common flavors like raisin may not fit into their business model.
Are There Any Workarounds?
The set bagel options may disappoint raisin bagel lovers. However, Panera does offer a few ways to still enjoy a raisin bagel taste:
Add Raisins to a Plain Bagel
The simplest solution is to order a plain Panera bagel and add raisins yourself. Panera offers raisin bread as a bakery item, so raisins are typically in stock at their cafes. Ask for a side of raisins and sprinkle them onto a toasted plain bagel with cream cheese. This quick DIY version gives you the flavors of a raisin bagel.
Order a Raisin Bread Slice
While not in bagel form, you can still enjoy raisins by ordering a slice of Panera’s raisin bread. It makes a good bread alternative when craving that raisin baked good taste.
Request a Raisin Bagel Special Order
Some Panera locations may allow special order bakery requests a day in advance. Inquire with your local cafe if they can take a special order for raisin bagels made just for you. However, this will depend entirely on that specific location’s policies and baking schedule. Do not expect all cafes to accommodate special orders.
Petition for Raisin Bagels to be Added
If you frequent Panera, you can always kindly speak with the store manager and request they consider offering raisin bagels permanently. Customer input does influence decisions on expanding menu offerings. The more interest that is expressed, the more motivation Panera has to add it.
You can also submit suggestion through Panera’s website. Keep in mind, multiple factors still affect their ability to regularly produce a new variety. But customer feedback at least puts the idea on their radar.
Are Raisin Bagels Likely to be Added in the Future?
Given Panera’s history of sticking to their core bakery menu, raisin bagels seem unlikely to be added any time soon. However, consumer tastes do change and evolve over time. If there is enough demand for more bagel flavors, Panera may test out offerings like raisin in select markets or for limited-time seasonal menus.
Competition from other bakery chains could also prompt Panera to expand their selections. As more cafes widen their own bagel variety, Panera may add unique flavors to stay competitive.
For now, raisin fans will have to opt for the custom add-on or special order options. But never say never – down the road, Panera raisin bagels could make an appearance.
Conclusion
In summary, raisin bagels are currently not one of the standard bagel options at Panera Bread bakery-cafes. Their menu sticks to popular plain, blueberry, cinnamon crunch, and asiago cheese bagel flavors. Reasons for not offering raisin likely relate to production limits, keeping costs down, and concerns about waste. However, customers can create a DIY raisin bagel by adding raisins to a plain one or ordering a raisin bread slice instead. Special ordering raisin bagels may work at some locations too. Though unlikely in the immediate future, consumer demand could potentially motivate Panera to add raisin bagels officially to their menu. Raisin bagel lovers may need to request and lobby for it!