Panera Bread's 'Charged Lemonade' drink removed. What to know, list of Upstate restaurants
Panera Bread is removing its "Charged Lemonade" drink from its menu after a third lawsuit was filed against the company, alleging their high caffeination drink was the source of three consumers' heart-related issues, including two deaths, according to an article in USA Today.
There are 11 locations for Panera Bread in the Upstate area, including five in Greenville, two in Spartanburg, and one in Anderson.
Where is Panera Bread located in Upstate?
Greenville: 1922 Augusta St., 708 Haywood Road, 3140 Pleasantburg Drive, 1125 Woodruff Road, 3609 Pelham Road.
Spartanburg: 1811 E. Main St., 108 E. Blackstock Road.
Other Locations: 103 Station Road (Anderson), 220 Rolling Hills Circle, (Easley), 1220 West Wade Hampton Blvd. (Greer), 708 Fairview Road, (Simpsonville).
How soon will Charged Lemonade be off menu?
The fast-food franchise announced the changes on Tuesday, May 7. However, Bloomberg first reported the news and said Charged Lemonade would be off the menu within the next two weeks.
What is Charged Lemonade?
"Charged Lemonade" is a set of highly caffeinated drinks that come in multiple flavors from Panera Bread. It was released in 2022 as part of Panera Bread's Unlimited Sip Club, a subscription program that offers unlimited refills on all of its self-serve beverages, according to Forbes.com.
Why is Charged Lemonade being removed?
These drinks have been alleged to cause physical harm to those who drink them. Two lawsuits, filed in October and December of 2023, claim the drink's caffeine contents caused the heart attack that killed two separate people, while a third filed in 2024 alleges the drinks from Panera have caused permanent heart issues, according to USA Today reports.
For the third time since October, a lawsuit has been filed alleging the lemonade drinks caused serious harm to a customer's health, this time, on behalf of a woman who says she is now stuck with "permanent" heart issues.
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History of 'Charged Lemonade' lawsuits against Panera Bread
The first lawsuit against Panera Bread alleged that a Charged Lemonade drink had caused death, according to USA Today reports. It was filed in 2023 by the family of Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who died in 2022 due to cardiac arrest.
According to USA Today, a second suit was filed in December of 2023, which blamed the caffeinated drinks for the death of 46-year-old Dennis Brown of Fleming Island, Florida, who also suffered a cardiac arrest after consuming three Charged Lemonades. The latest lawsuit, filed in Delaware on Tuesday, May 7, alleges that 28-year-old Lauren Skerritt of Rhode Island has suffered long-term and permanent cardiac issues as a result of consuming the Charged Lemonade.
Panera has denied any responsibility in all cases and has since added warning labels to its menu since the second case, according to the reports mentioned above. This is the third such incident where a consumer claims to have been unaware of the contents of the drinks, which are advertised as "clean," "plant-based," and "naturally flavored."
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– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: 'Charged Lemonade' removed from menu, list of Upstate Panera locations
