Starbucks makes a risky menu change after Panera Bread lawsuits
Starbucks shook up its menu this month by providing customers with what it describes as “the ultimate kickstart,” despite the Panera energy drink fiasco.
The popular coffee chain began offering three new highly caffeinated beverages on June 25: Melon Burst Iced Energy, Tropical Citrus Iced Energy, and Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Energy with strawberry puree. This came less than six months after someone filed a new lawsuit against Panera Bread.
Starbucks wrote in their press release that the energy drinks are intended to “start your day with a boost of sugar-free energy” and that they contain a whopping 140 to 205 mg of caffeine.
The bold move to offer energy drinks comes after Panera recently discontinued Charged Lemonade. The restaurantās 30-ounce container contained a whopping 390 mg of caffeine and reportedly caused a range of problems, from cardiac arrest to death.
The family of deceased Pennsylvania college student Sarah Katz filed the first of four recent lawsuits in October 2023.
Starbucks began offering three new energy drinks in its U.S. stores on June 25, after removing Charged Lemonade drinks from Panera Bread menus in the U.S.
Panera Bread was hit with at least four separate lawsuits between October 2023 and January 2024 after consumers claimed they suffered health complications from the incriminated lemonades
The family of deceased Pennsylvania college student Sarah Katz filed the first of three recent lawsuits in October 2023.
Katz, who already had a heart condition, died in 2022 after drinking a large Charged Lemonade.
The death of a disabled Florida man is also believed to be linked to Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade. His family filed a lawsuit against the restaurant chain in December 2023.
A Maryland woman filed a lawsuit against Panera Bread in January, claiming Charged Lemonade left her with āpermanentā injuries.
Despite the lawsuits, a Panera Bread spokesperson claimed that the removal of Charged Lemonade was part of a āmenu transformationā and was a result of customer feedback.
Pictured: Starbucks’ newest flavors – Melon Burst Iced Energy, Tropical Citrus Iced Energy and the Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Energy with strawberry puree
Sarah Katz (pictured) died on September 10, 2022, just hours after consuming a large Charged Lemonade at a Panera Bread store in Philadelphia
“We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they want from Panera and are now focused on the wide range of beverages we know our guests want, from exciting, on-trend flavors to low-sugar, low-caffeine options,” a Panera spokesperson said of the decision to discontinue the drink.
Following the three other lawsuits, a Pennsylvania teenager filed court documents in May claiming he had a heart attack from the energy drink Panera.
Luke Adams, 18, said he drank the drink on March 9. Just two and a half hours later, a friend of Luke’s noticed he was making strange noises and suddenly went into cardiac arrest.
Fortunately, there were two nurses and a cardiologist in the operating room at the time. They started CPR, while an automated external defibrillator was used to shock him.
A regular size of Panera Bread’s Charged Lemonade was 20 ounces and contained 260 milligrams of caffeine
Luke Adams, 18, said he consumed the drink on March 9. Just two and a half hours later, a friend of Luke’s noticed he was making strange noises and suddenly went into cardiac arrest.