Comments on: Panera’s “hidden” menu

By: Lindsey Nair

Lindsey Nair — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:58:39 +0000

HA HA Dylan!

By: Dylan

Dylan — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:13:11 +0000

Word to the wise, do NOT use their “hidden” restrooms!
They will kick you out of the establishment.
And as far as I’m concerned that potted plant was very dry and in need of some kind of watering!

By: Lindsey Nair

Lindsey Nair — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:14:18 +0000

Yes, mushrooms only have about 2g of protein per serving (that’s for white mushrooms).
But I didn’t see a spinach salad on the hidden menu anyway. There were supposedly only six items on that menu and they are listed in the blog entry. The only salad I saw were the chicken salad and the turkey salad.
I agree that they might do well with a vegetarian “power” option.

By: tass

tass — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:13:14 +0000

Mushrooms aren’t high in protein. They’re considered by some people as a meat substitute for their texture and earthiness (think portobello sandwiches on a burger menu) but not for their protein content.

By: Ashley R.

Ashley R. — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:10:07 +0000

I tried the Power Egg White and Turkey breakfast to review it on my personal blog. It was okay, but it went very skimpy on the spinach (which is the part I wanted most) and the basil pesto so the egg white was very bland. Its a nice option if you are on the go — but I personally wouldn’t go out of my way for it (at least the version that I had this week — maybe they are still learning?).

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:47:41 +0000

The important word is “test”. You don’t change the menu until you’ve decided that these items are going to be offered long term.

By: Noodle78

Noodle78 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:32:56 +0000

@ Meghan and Tass, the Power Spinach has bacon in it…

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:28:24 +0000

I would love to know the sodium content. I know it’s awful for the soups, turkey, and dressings. They do publish this on their website. I don’t know if the hidden menu nutritional values are posted on the site or not.

By: david

david — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:27:51 +0000

Hip and cool? No, at least in my opinion. Maybe to a hip and cool restaurant researcher and consultant.

By: Lindsey Nair

Lindsey Nair — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:50:39 +0000

If you read the St. Louis article, you’ll see these interesting comments from a restaurant researcher and consultant they interviewed named Darren Tristano:
“Darren Tristano, with the food industry research and consulting firm Technomic, says hidden menus aren’t a new concept… Tristano said the secret menu has the added bonus of creating extra buzz among a restaurant’s super fans, who find the idea hip and cool. It makes folks feel like insiders.”

So, don’t you guys think this is hip and cool?