Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Panera Bread is eliminating Charged Lemonade from its menu, the caffeinated beverage that has sparked multiple lawsuits and caused a public relations nightmare for the company.
The Charged Lemonades will come off the menu in the next two weeks, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. The chain declined to comment to CNN on the timeline of the drinks’ removal.
Panera has faced at least three separate lawsuits over the lineup of controversial drinks in recent months, claiming that the high levels of caffeine in the product has led to the deaths of two customers and irreversible health complications in another.
A Panera spokesperson said new drinks will replace it, including low-sugar and low-caffeine options, including a new blueberry lavender lemonade, pomegranate hibiscus tea, citrus punch and a tropical green smoothie.
The lineup of Charged Lemonades was introduced in April 2022, tied with the release of its beverage subscription program that let people get as many soft drinks and coffees as they wanted each day for $10.99 per month. (The price has since increased to US$14.99 per month.)
Panera kept the Charged Lemonades on the menu, despite the controversies, because experts say removing the drink immediately could have come across as an implied admission that something was wrong with it in the first place.
“Very often in lawsuits, there is a knee-jerk reaction among lawyers to do as little as possible publicly out of some vague fear that you are exposing yourself to additional liability,” crisis PR expert James Haggerty previously told CNN, noting that this approach can have a detrimental effect on the market value of a company, at times to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Haggerty added that it’s a “cost-benefit analysis … the loss of reputational value will often outweigh anything that occurs in the courtroom.”
Last month, Panera revamped its offerings with its “largest menu transformation ever” that refocused its selection on sandwiches, soups, salads and macaroni and cheese. A number of items got the ax too, including flatbreads, several sweet treats and chili.
“We are excited to continue the success of our recent menu transformation, which began with our core options of sandwiches and salads,” a Panera spokesperson said about the revamp. “We listened to more than 30,000 guests about what they wanted from Panera, and are focusing next on the broad array of beverages we know our guests desire.”
The changes come as Panera is planning to go public again later this year. In November 2023, the chain laid off 18 per cent of its corporate workforce, amounting to 300 people, and Reuters recently reported that it’s loosening the standards it sets for its ingredients in an effort to save US$20 million annually.
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
The president of Covered Bridge Chips in New Brunswick is hoping to have his factory rebuilt for late 2025 following a devastating fire last year.
Students and staff at Winnipeg’s Westwood Collegiate had a unique problem to solve this month; how do you lead ducks to water from the school’s courtyard when 12 of them can’t fly yet?
Debby Lorinczy remembers her father as an amazing person and as a man who also made an amazing discovery.
Abigail Strate is a member of the Canadian national ski jumping team and an Olympic bronze medallist. She's also a certified beekeeper.
It's been a long time coming, but one Oilers superfan is hoping this will be the year he gets to touch up his massive Stanley Cup back tattoo.
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
A Winnipeg pinball wizard is heading to the granddaddy of them all – the IFPA World Pinball Championship.
It’s the chance of a lifetime for a group of Ottawa athletes who are getting ready to represent Team Canada at the World Junior Ultimate championships in the United Kingdom.
Parishioners at Holy Trinity Anglican Church are praying for a monetary miracle, as their historic place of worship could collapse at any moment.