The 'Wasteful' New Panera Menu Item That Employees Hate Making

While many consumers try to limit the amount of food they toss in the trash, food waste in the United States still costs $384 billion. Restaurants like Panera don't appear to be helping the cause either. Panera recently launched a new menu item called Salad Stuffers, which is a salad stuffed into a bread roll. For lovers of Panera's famous soup bread bowls, this may be a joyous occasion. But while they may look delicious, employees have shared some dreary insight about the new Salad Stuffers.

In a Panera Reddit thread, one user pointed out the extreme waste of the item. "The core of the bread is thrown out, and a good chunk of the salad gets tossed in the trash too. These are a huge waste of money and food." Other Redditors agreed, pointing out that the inside of the bread could be repurposed for another menu item. The original poster added ideas for limiting bread waste, "Croutons, stuffing, bread pudding. There's a lot volunteer kitchens could still do with this stuff." In a different Reddit thread, a self-identified Panera employee posted a photo of the carved out bread highlighting the waste.

Whether you believe Panera is a fast food restaurant or something else, it isn't exempt from the responsibility to waste less food. Other restaurants, like Chick-fil-A have introduced efforts like the Shared Table Program to donate excess food to charity organizations in local communities. But bread and salad aren't the only things being wasted in Panera restaurants thanks to the Salad Stuffers. According to that first Reddit thread, "All the dressings are hand put into the plastic dressing cups but when a Salad Stuffer is ordered they take two plastic dressing cups pour it into the mixing bowl then throw them away. Causing a massive amount of plastic waste."

In 2019, the plastic waste generated in the United States was estimated at 73 million metric tons. And with plastic being a huge environmental issue, Panera's preparation method for the Salad Stuffers could at the very least use a refresh. For now, if you're craving a Panera salad and some warm bread, it may be better to order the salad with some bread served on the side as it seems the Salad Stuffer is a Panera menu item to avoid ordering.