Panera Bread is known for its delicious bakery items, sandwiches, salads, and soups. One of their most popular breakfast offerings has been the breakfast wraps, which feature eggs, cheese, and meat wrapped up in a tortilla. However, some customers have noted recently that they can no longer find the breakfast wraps on the Panera menu, leading them to ask: did Panera discontinue their breakfast wraps?
Quick Answer
Yes, Panera Bread has discontinued their breakfast wraps nationwide. The breakfast wraps were removed from the menu in early 2022 as part of a menu revamp that cut several other items as well. Panera stated the discontinuation was due to a desire to streamline offerings and focus on their highest quality and bestselling items.
When did Panera stop serving breakfast wraps?
Panera Bread officially stopped serving their breakfast wrap options in January 2022. The removal of the breakfast wraps occurred alongside several other menu changes, including cutting the Greek yogurt options, eliminating several salad and sandwich choices, and consolidating the mac and cheese options.
These menu changes went into effect nationally across all 2,100+ Panera locations in the United States. So as of January 2022, breakfast wraps could no longer be found on the menu at any Panera Bread bakery-cafe. The timing coincided with Panera’s major menu overhaul aimed at improving operations and focusing on their most popular offerings.
What types of breakfast wraps did Panera serve?
Up until early 2022, Panera offered three main varieties of breakfast wraps on their menu:
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Wrap – Egg, bacon, American cheese in a tortilla.
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese Wrap – Egg, sausage, American cheese in a tortilla.
- Mediterranean Wrap – Egg white, spinach, feta cheese, roasted tomatoes in a tortilla.
The bacon and sausage wraps provided a more traditional hot breakfast sandwich in wrap form. The Mediterranean wrap offered a lighter, vegetable-forward option.
In addition to these three core wraps, some locations had also offered seasonal or limited-time breakfast wrap varieties over the years. But the above three wraps had been consistent staples on Panera’s nationwide breakfast menu up until January 2022.
Why did Panera discontinue breakfast wraps?
According to Panera Bread, the decision to remove breakfast wraps from the menu came down to an effort to simplify operations and improve the customer experience by focusing on their highest quality menu items.
In early 2022, Panera conducted a comprehensive menu evaluation. This led them to cut less popular or labor-intensive items – like the breakfast wraps – in order to streamline kitchen operations. Panera also wanted to ensure they were only offering their very best products, not spreading themselves too thin across a complex menu.
Additionally, removing slower-selling items allows Panera to focus more on food quality and consistency for their remaining menu offerings. So while regular customers may miss the breakfast wraps, the goal is to provide an even better overall experience going forward.
What breakfast options are left on Panera’s menu?
While the breakfast wraps are gone, Panera Bread still offers a robust breakfast menu with many other sandwich options, pastries, and sides.
Some of the breakfast sandwich options still available include:
- Egg & Cheese on a Baker’s Dozen Bagel
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese on a Baker’s Dozen Bagel
- Egg & Avocado on Artisan Ciabatta
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese on Asiago Cheese Focaccia
Panera also still offers breakfast pastries like bagels, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and croissants. Yogurt parfaits and oatmeal make for lighter breakfast choices as well.
While the specific breakfast wrap options are gone, customers still have plenty of sandwich, bakery, and hot breakfast choices at Panera. The simplified menu puts greater emphasis on Panera’s fresh-baked bread, signature pastries, and specialty sandwiches.
Can you still customize a breakfast sandwich into a wrap?
Unfortunately, the capability to customize a breakfast sandwich into a wrap is also gone along with the pre-set wrap options. Panera’s removal of wraps streamlines the menu and kitchen workflow.
Team members have noted that some customers tried ordering breakfast sandwiches on tortillas initially after the wraps were cut. However, since tortillas and wraps are no longer available in the bakery-cafes at all, servers have to decline wrap requests.
Panera is shifting focus completely to its breads, bagels, and pastry options. So customizing other sandwiches into wraps is also off the table. The sandwiches are now served on the various fresh-baked breads and rolls featured in Panera’s menu.
Did this menu change affect other items as well?
Yes, the discontinuation of breakfast wraps in early 2022 came alongside several other significant Panera menu changes:
- Greek yogurt options were removed – leaving only regular yogurt.
- Several salad options were cut, like the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad.
- A few sandwich choices were eliminated, like the Turkey Artichoke Panini.
- Mac and cheese menu was reduced to just the original and bacon mac & cheese options.
Like the breakfast wrap removal, these changes were intended to make the menu more efficient and sharpen Panera’s focus on core offerings. Reports indicate the menu simplification has helped speed up service and kitchen production.
Was this change permanent?
Yes, the removal of breakfast wraps appears to be a permanent change at Panera Bread locations. The wraps have not returned in the year since their discontinuation.
Given that the change was part of a system-wide menu overhaul intended to optimize Panera’s offerings, it is highly unlikely that breakfast wraps will return. Panera seems committed to operating with a simplified menu focused only on its highest quality options going forward.
Of course, it’s always possible that customer demand or other factors could lead Panera to eventually bring back breakfast wrap options. But for now, wraps have been fully eliminated from the menu across all locations.
How have customers reacted?
The discontinuation of the breakfast wraps has drawn a mixed reaction from Panera customers:
- Many regular customers have expressed disappointment at the loss of a favorite menu item, especially the bacon and Mediterranean wraps.
- However, some customers support the decision to streamline the menu and speed up service.
- Those who still want a breakfast wrap have found some alternatives on the remaining menu, like breakfast sandwiches in tortillas or wraps from bakery items.
- Customers noting the absence of wraps on recent visits indicates that they were a fairly popular option that is missed by a segment of diners.
Here are some direct customer comments on the Panera breakfast wrap situation:
| “That Mediterranean wrap was my go-to order. Sad it’s gone.” |
| “I never really got the wraps but I’m fine with a simplified menu.” |
| “I make my own version now with a bagel sandwich in a tortilla.” |
| “Disappointed – I loved grabbing a quick bacon egg & cheese wrap.” |
So while some customers miss having the breakfast wrap options, others are on board with a more streamlined food lineup from Panera.
Can you get breakfast wraps at other bakery chains?
While Panera no longer offers breakfast wraps, some competing bakery-cafe chains do still feature wrap options on their morning menus:
- Einstein Bros Bagels – Serves multiple varieties of breakfast wraps including sausage, bacon, veggie, and southwest options.
- Corner Bakery – Offers around 5 different wrap choices for breakfast with egg, cheese, and meat.
- Au Bon Pain – Has a few breakfast wrap sandwiches on their menu using eggs, ham, sausage, spinach, and peppers.
So customers looking for a quick breakfast wrap do still have alternatives at other major bakery chains. Einstein Bros and Corner Bakery, in particular, have robust breakfast wrap menus for those who miss the Panera option.
Does Panera plan to bring breakfast wraps back?
Panera Bread has not announced any plans to reinstate breakfast wraps on their menu. The wraps were cut as part of an intentional, long-term menu revision initiative.
Since the removal of wraps in early 2022, Panera has continued moving forward with their simplified menu approach focused on core bakery and sandwich options. Bringing back discontinued items like the breakfast wraps would go against this operational strategy.
While always possible down the road, it looks highly unlikely in the near future that Panera will reverse course and add breakfast wraps back to their national menu. Customers should expect the wraps to remain eliminated as Panera sticks with a leaner lineup of products.
Conclusion
Panera Bread definitively discontinued their breakfast wrap menu items nationwide in early 2022. The decision came as part of a major menu streamlining effort to improve efficiency and quality. While some customers miss the convenient wraps, Panera maintains it has allowed them to better focus on their core offerings.
It appears that the breakfast wrap removal is permanent for the foreseeable future. But those who still want a quick morning wrap do have options at chains like Einstein Bros or Corner Bakery. As Panera continues evolving its menu lineup, customers will have to accept the loss of some previous favorites like the bacon and Mediterranean breakfast wraps.