After removing French Onion Soup from its menu several months ago, Panera Bread faced backlash online from fans who lamented the loss of the popular item.
However, the company has listened to these customers and has decided that the soup will return to its permanent menu. To make the big announcement, Panera enlisted the help of another fan favorite, Phyllis from TV’s The Office.
Played by actress Phyllis Smith, Phyllis sits at her cubicle at Panera’s headquarters and reads angry tweets from Panera fans who wanted French Onion Soup to return.
“We are relentlessly focused on the guest. When we removed French Onion Soup from our menu in September, it was obvious from the social media reaction that French Onion is indeed a crowd favorite. The internet was sad when we took it away, but we heard you. Now, with the help of our friend and St. Louis native, Phyllis, we’re announcing French Onion Soup is back at Panera,” says Scott Nelson, Panera’s vice president of marketing.