Social Media Reaction Prompts Panera Bread to Return French Onion Soup to Its Menu

The Office’s Phyllis Smith read some of the mean tweets the company received

When fast-casual restaurant chain Panera Bread pulled French onion soup off its menu in September, the reaction on Twitter was fast, furious and, often, mean.

And it worked: French onion soup was restored to the menu at Panera.

The company’s headquarters is located in Sunset Hills, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, and it turned to St. Louis native Phyllis Smith, best known for portraying Phyllis Vance on classic sitcom The Office, to break the news of the return of French onion soup and read some of the mean tweets that prompted the decision.

Panera Bread vice president of marketing Scott Nelson said in an email, “Our marketing initiatives are rooted in consumer insights, and we evolve based on what we know guests want.

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