Mid-Michigan Dining

I’ve been told all three Lansing area Panera Bread will be participating in this and the funds they raise will go to the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross…..

Panera Bread® to Celebrate Breakfast
With Free Cups of its New Coffee and Samples of New Products
Panera Bread to Support Local Communities by Raising Funds for Operation Dough-Nation® Recipients

Richmond Heights, MO, January 22, 2009 – Something big is brewing at Panera Bread and everyone’s invited. On Wednesday, January 28, Panera Bread bakery-cafes throughout the country are inviting customers to celebrate Panera’s new breakfast experience by sharing free cups of its new Light and Dark Roast coffees, as well as samples of its three grilled breakfast sandwiches and new Strawberry Granola Parfait.

To Share the Warmth with the local community, Panera Bread will also be inviting customers to donate a dollar on January 28 to help support its Operation Dough-Nation Community BreadboxTM program. Participating bakery-cafes will join the celebration by matching customer donations made on that day. Donations to Panera’s Community Breadboxes support local programs that address community needs. Through its Operation Dough-Nation effort, Panera Bread bakery-cafes collectively donated a retail value of more than $40 million worth of bread and baked goods in 2007 to charitable organizations helping to address the need for food distribution in its local communities.
“We are very proud of what we have achieved at breakfast at Panera,” said Ronald Shaich, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Panera Bread. “We’re looking forward to celebrating breakfast with our customers and joining them in supporting our local communities.”

Panera Bread has been working for more than two years to perfect its two unique new coffee blends — a Light Roast and a Dark Roast. The Light Roast Coffee is a new blend of some of the finest South and Central American beans, roasted lighter for a smooth, classic taste. The Dark Roast Coffee is a new blend of top Costa Rican beans, created for customers who prefer a robust, balanced, full-bodied coffee. All Panera Bread bakery-cafes will continue to carry its current Hazelnut and Decaffeinated coffee blends, as well as a selection of specialty Espresso and Espresso-based drinks expertly prepared by trained baristas.

“We have put the utmost care and attention into every detail of our new coffee – from selecting just the right coffee beans to roasting them in small batches to bring out the best in every bean,” said Scott Davis, Chief Concept Officer at Panera Bread. “To ensure that each cup is of the highest quality and consistency, we filter the water used down to one micron or one tenth the size of a droplet of mist. Our coffee is then served at the peak of its freshness throughout the day. With a choice of coffee for every taste all in one place, we think our new coffee is the perfect complement to our breakfast experience.”
The coffee is in good company with Panera’s newest breakfast offerings, including a Strawberry Granola Parfait. This new product is made with Stonyfield Farm® low-fat, organic vanilla yogurt, maple butter pecan granola with whole grain oats and fresh strawberries.

The company is also celebrating its three grilled breakfast sandwiches, which took Panera’s expert bakers over a year to perfect. True to Panera’s tradition, the company’s team of culinary experts chose only exceptional quality ingredients –

thin-crusted, moist Ciabatta baked fresh every day in each bakery-cafe; all-natural, pasteurized, freshly-cracked eggs; Vermont white cheddar cheese; and Applewood-smoked bacon or all-natural sausage. The made-to-order sandwich is a delicious culinary combination that can easily be taken on-the-go or savored over a leisurely breakfast in the bakery-cafe.