Panera announced the return of its 'Lobster Roll' and its 'Lobster Mac & Cheese' menu items for a limited time. Just in time for the summer 2022 season, these items will be available at approximately 200 different Panera locations on the eastern side of North America while supplies last. These items are seasonally available, so customers are encouraged to try the items while they are still in stock.
The Panera Lobster Roll features a lobster claw and knuckle stuffed into a New England Roll. The lobster claw itself is tossed in a lemon tarragon mayonnaise to bring out its creamy, soft flavorings. The Lobster Mac & Cheese on the other hand is made with lobster claw meat and lobster knuckle meat that has been buttered and seasoned with panko crumbs, then mixed into white cheddar mac & cheese.
The Panera Lobster Roll has an SRP of $9.99 for a small and $18.49 for a large, while the Lobster Mac & Cheese costs $22.99 for an individual order.
Lobster-Based Seasonal Menus
Panera Brought Back Two Lobster Items for its Summer 2022 Menu
Trend Themes
1. Seasonal Lobster Menus - Food industry can cater to new demand for seasonal menus featuring lobster meat as a high-end ingredient.
2. Limited Edition Offerings - Creative alternatives can be developed for industries looking to experiment with seasonal, limited edition menus.
3. Regional Menu Testing - Regional restaurants can gather insights to test new menu offering across locations for customer feedback and demand for new items to be added to the menu.
Industry Implications
1. Quick-serve Restaurants - Fast-food chains can offer new limited edition items or specials to draw in new customers and increase sales.
2. Fine Dining Restaurants - Upscale restaurants looking to experiment with new flavors and textures can incorporate lobster as an elevated, high-end ingredient in their seasonal menu offerings.
3. Meal Kits and Delivery Services - Meal-kit companies and delivery services can incorporate these limited edition offerings for delivery to customer's homes or to other restaurants as a business-to-business delivery service.