What side do you like with your Panera Bread entree: baguette, chips, or apple? What I want to know is what kind of apple does Panera Bread serve on the side. My research on Twitter has turned up a variety of answers: McIntosh, Fuji, Gala, and Red Delicious.

TBH (to be honest), if it was Fuji or Gala, I would say yes, and anything else I would say no. You know, the type of apple does make a difference to some people, cf. Top 15 most popular varieties of apples.

My guess is that each Panera Bread location or region might have different apple suppliers in the supply chain, so there isn’t one consistent type of apple served at all Panera Bread locations. Can anyone confirm or deny?

Other people have asked, “Why is it that no one at Panera knows what kind of apples they serve?” and “What apple does panera bread serve with its meals?“

choice-of-side

The last 2 times I went to my neighborhood Panera Bread in Aliso Viejo, they didn’t even ask which side I wanted. The first time the cashier just said, “It comes with a baguette on the side, is that ok?” The second time, a different cashier didn’t say anything about the side, and I was served potato chips.

And, in some locations, Panera Bread has even served a dinner roll instead of a baguette on the side, to the consternation of some, cf. “Panera swaps baguettes for bread rolls, angers customers” (Kansas City Star, October 2014).

Here’s an actual photo from someone’s Panera Bread meal. Can you tell what kind of apple this is?

apple on the side

As an aside, yes, Panera Bread has a Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken, but that salad is topped with (dehydrated) apple chips, not freshly sliced Fuji apples.