Panera Bread

[FreeTime]

My local Panera manager says that she believes gluten free bread is on the horizon! I certainly hope that this is not a rumor. Let me know if anyone that has a Panera in the area starts seeing gluten-free bread please. I would appreciate it.

[gdobson]

I would be way skeptical about Paneras. I did however, recently receive a gift card from there and contacted them to see if they had anything I could eat. I have been too chicken to try, but here is their response:

**Although we do our very best to meet your special requirements, we cannot rule out the possibility of cross contact between these items and gluten-containing foods in our bakery-café.

Salads: (including the salad dressing)

(source of modified food starch is corn)

Greek Salad

Fandango Salad

Caesar Salad (without croutons)

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (without Won Ton noodles)

Classic Cafe' Salad

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad with Chicken

Bistro Steak Salad

Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

California Mission Chicken Salad

Soups:

Moroccan Tomato Lentil

Santa Fe Roasted Corn

Vegetable and Sirloin Beef

Vegetarian Black Bean

Vegetarian Lentil

Mesa Bean & Vegetable

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil

Salad Dressings:

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Caesar

Greek

Poppyseed

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Asian Sesame Vinaigrette

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Beverages:

Coffee

Juice, both apple and orange

Lemonade

Milk

Soda, fountain and bottled

Tea, regular and Chai Tea

All lattes IC Honeydew

[CarlaB]

I go in often for a cup of coffee and I bring my own treat ... so I'm a regular. I spoke with the manager today about this. He says there has been talk of it, but personally, he can't see how they could logistically do it and be certain the gluten-free stuff was not contaminated. Neither can I. I mentioned having packaged goods available, and he said he couldn't see them doing that since they make their own bread on premises. He thinks the final decision will be to not carry gluten-free goods. Just too much financial outlay for little financial gain.