Food & Beverage

Panera expands caffeinated, caffeine-free options

Photo: Panera

March 12, 2026

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Panera Bread has launched two beverage lines, Frescas and Energy Refreshers, introducing four flavors infused with real fruit. The launch comes alongside a new bakery item, the Dubai Style Chocolate Pistachio Cookie, as the company emphasizes a return to its "bakery-cafe" roots.

"We are redefining the premium beverage experience at Panera," Mark Shambura, chief marketing officer, said in a company press release. "By combining bold flavors with high-quality ingredients... we have created a lineup of drinks that are both invigorating and delicious."

New beverage categories

The expansion includes two distinct categories catering to different consumer needs:

Energy Refreshers: These caffeinated, naturally flavored drinks include Dragonfruit Sunset (pineapple and tropical dragonfruit) and Passionfruit Paradise (passionfruit, guava, and orange). Panera said the drinks contain 28-44 mg of caffeine per serving, depending on size, and issued a disclaimer that they are not recommended for children, caffeine-sensitive individuals or pregnant women.

Frescas: These caffeine-free options include a new Cherry Lime flavor and the return of the Strawberry Basil Lemonade, which features agave lemonade and strawberry puree.

Bakery expansion

The beverage launch coincides with the debut of the Dubai Style Chocolate Pistachio Cookie, a chocolate cookie filled with pistachio cream and topped with crunchy pistachio pieces. The company stated this is part of a broader initiative to reintroduce a wider variety of bread and pastries throughout 2026.

The items are available at Panera's roughly 2,200 locations across the United States and Ontario, Canada.