Temperatures may be falling but demand for Panera's iced coffee isn't.
According to a recent poll, an overwhelming majority of their U.S. consumer base still plans on drinking the brand’s iced coffee during these winter months.
In an effort to make consumption more comfortable for its loyal customers, Panera has developed what it’s calling an “Iced & Toasty Bread Bowl Hand Warmer.” It resembles a mitten shaped to look like a bread bowl, with an opening at the top to hold a coffee cup and a side pocket that enables you to hold the container while insulating the hand from the beverage’s cold contents.
As appetizing as the faux bread bowl looks, it’s not safe for consumption. The hand-warming mitten, made out of fabric, is a unique way of meeting customer demand for iced coffee on winter days.
Last year, Panera began offering a coffee subscription allowing users unlimited access to java through its app for $8.99 per month. Other food chains tried something similar to get their slice of the coffee market. In 2019, Burger King announced a $5 monthly coffee subscription but scrapped the program a few months later.