Marketing

Panera Bread launches the ultimate 'Millennial Meal'

The fast casual merges two of that generation’s favorites into one promotion for National Avocado Day.
Panera is combining avocado toast and iced coffee into a special promotion for National Avocado Day on Wednesday. | Photo courtesy of Panera Bread

Like the color pink, Millennials will never be able to escape their connection to avocado toast.

Every generation now eats avocado toast and it’s on countless breakfast and brunch menus, but Panera Bread recently launched the iconic item as part of major menu transformation. Plus, National Avocado Day is Wednesday and it’s a good excuse for a promotion.

Toward that end, the 2,182-unit fast casual created the ultimate “Millennial Meal” featuring two items that age group brought to fame: Avocado Toast and Iced Coffee.

Panera’s goal is to “toast, not roast” Millennials, who have gotten a lot of flak on TikTok from Gen Z, the younger demographic just a few years behind them.

So on July 31 only, customers of any age can go to PaneraBread.com/MillennialMeal and score a free avocado toast with any purchase using the code “AVOTOAST.” For the iced coffee part of the deal, new members must join Panera’s Unlimited Sip Club by Wednesday to get endless drinks all summer long.

Panera offers two variations of Avocado Toast, both using an avocado spread instead of sliced avocados and both relatively gently priced.

The Classic Avo features the chunky avocado spread on thin-sliced country rustic sourdough bread, finished with a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning, sea salt and black pepper; it starts at $3.49. The Garden Avo uses the same chunky avocado spread on the same bread, but it’s topped with sliced fresh tomatoes, a drizzle of garlic aioli and the everything bagel seasoning, sea salt and black pepper; it goes for $4.49.

The bulk of Millennials are now in their 30s and early 40s and many have solid incomes and families of their own. It’s a demographic that restaurants are eager to reach as they compete to grow traffic and sales.

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