Panera Bread is set to debut the “Signature Take” and “Spicy Take” Chef’s Chicken Sandwiches on March 30.
"With Panera's new Chef's Chicken Sandwiches, we're launching an exciting new platform, that will delight our guests. This is no ordinary chicken sandwich," said Eduardo Luz, chief brand & concept officer, Panera Bread.
"This is for a guest looking for a delicious, chef-crafted, gourmet-level sandwich, freshly prepared and made with Clean ingredients in true Panera fashion. This will shatter the expectations of what a chicken sandwich should taste like, and we think they're worth every bite and every penny."
Entering the chicken sandwich craze will create more daypart versatility by bringing a new audience into the fast casual restaurant brand, the company said.
“Our expectations with this sandwich is to add to both dinner and lunch. We expect a new occasion, new guest ... We’ve done that with our flatbread pizzas and warm bowls and all the data we see here indicates we should expect the same,” Luz told Forbes.
More about the Chef’s Chicken Sandwiches
The Chef’s Chicken Sandwiches will “redefine the traditional chicken sandwich,” according to a press release. The two sandwiches feature a quarter pound of 100% all white meat chicken breast flavored with Panera’s signature spice blend and a proprietary garlic aioli sauce on a butter brioche bun.
The Signature Take also includes savory parmesan crisps for flavor and crunch and leafy emerald greens. Meanwhile, for the spicy flavor afficionado, the Spicy Take adds spicy, crispy pickle chips and a spicy buffalo sauce.
In recognition that many consumers still prefer to consume their foodservice meals off-premises, the new sandwiches come in a specially designed tear-away box, "a simple, recyclable box that helps protect the brioche roll from being crushed and helps keep the sauce from dripping out," according to the company.
Both sandwiches retail for $10.99.
