Controversial lemonade drinks face discontinuation after legal concerns and customer reactions
- Panera Bread is discontinuing its controversial ‘charged’ lemonade drinks
- Many fans of the drinks are devastated by the decision
- Panera spokesperson points to other beverage options the chain is offering
- Restaurants often discontinue menu items based on sales reports and other factors
- Discontinued items may make a return due to customer demand
- Panera may eventually bring back the charged lemonades despite the controversy
Panera Bread is discontinuing its controversial super-caffeinated or ‘charged’ line of lemonade drinks. The move comes after the fast-casual chain faced concerns and legal action stemming from the fact that some customers said they had severe medical reactions to the beverages. Despite the issues, many fans of the drinks are devastated by the decision. On social media, commenters expressed their frustration and mourning for the drink. In response to the discontinuation, a Panera spokesperson mentioned other beverage options the chain is offering. Restaurants often discontinue menu items based on sales reports and other factors such as labor intensity and cost. However, discontinued items may make a return due to customer demand. It wouldn’t be surprising if Panera eventually brought back the charged lemonades, considering the cult following they have.
Factuality Level: 2
Factuality Justification: The article contains irrelevant information about the social media reactions to the discontinued drink, unnecessary details about other restaurants removing menu items, and opinions from industry professionals that are not directly related to the main topic. The article lacks in-depth analysis of the reasons behind Panera Bread’s decision to discontinue the super-caffeinated lemonade drinks and fails to provide a balanced view of the situation.
Noise Level: 2
Noise Justification: The article contains a lot of irrelevant information about people’s reactions to the discontinued drink, which does not add value to the reader. It also includes excessive details about individual opinions and reactions, making the article repetitive and lacking in substance. The article fails to provide a thoughtful analysis of the situation or explore broader implications beyond customer reactions.
Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Rating Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme events. It discusses Panera Bread’s decision to discontinue its super-caffeinated lemonade drinks due to concerns and legal action related to severe medical reactions. The impact of this decision is limited to the availability of a specific beverage at Panera Bread.
Public Companies: Panera Bread (Not available), McDonald’s (MCD)
Key People: Arlene Spiegel (New York-based restaurant consultant), Franklin Becker (Veteran New York chef), Steve Zagor (Industry expert who teaches courses about the restaurant business at Columbia University)
Reported publicly:
www.marketwatch.com 
