Panera Bread’s “Charged Lemonade” dispenser shown alongside other fountain beverages (image via court documents). Inset top: Sarah Katz (photo provided by family). Inset bottom: A warning about the “Charged Lemonade” drinks at Panera Bread (via Panera Bread website).
Days after Panera Bread was sued over its “Charged Lemonade” drinks, the nationwide fast-casual chain has issued warnings accompanying the heavily caffeinated beverages.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Sarah Katz, 21, died hours after drinking Panera’s “Charged Lemonade” on Sept. 10, 2022. According to a lawsuit filed by her parents last week, Katz was a member of Panera’s “Unlimited Sip Club,” which allowed her to partake in complimentary refills of certain beverages, including the “Charged Lemonade.” That line of “unreasonably dangerous” drinks, the lawsuit says, contains excessive amounts of sugar and caffeine and lacked proper warning labels that would have prevented their daughter from ingesting it.
As of Tuesday, the Panera Bread website included a warning in a section titled “About This” alongside the four “Charged Lemonade” flavored drinks.
“Naturally flavored, plant-based, with about as much CAFFEINE as our Dark Roast Coffee,” the warning said (all-caps emphasis in original). “Use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women.”
