Panera offers a freebie for customers vaccinated against COVID. Here’s how to get it
Panera Bread customers can enjoy a fresh bagel on the house — if they’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine.
The bakery-cafe is rewarding vaccinated guests with a free bagel of their choice daily from July 2-4 as part of a larger effort to get more shots in arms as President Joe Biden aims for at least 70% of U.S. adults to be inoculated by the Fourth of July, a goal the nation likely won’t reach.
Still, Panera is throwing its support behind the vaccination campaign by offering breakfast freebies at participating stores.
“Today, we are proud to continue our work through support of the ‘We Can Do This’ campaign,” Panera CEO Niren Chaudhary said in a statement. “We’ve come through one of our nation’s greatest crises by supporting one another, and now, together, we can all take a simple act that will help our communities overcome this pandemic.”
Starting July 2, vaccinated customers can choose one free bagel while supplies last. The offer is valid in-store only, and orders placed on third-party apps are excluded, according to a company news release.
No purchase is necessary, and neither is proof of vaccination, a company representative confirmed to McClatchy News.
Panera joins a growing list of restaurants and retailers hoping to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. Walgreens gave away $25 in Walgreens Cash rewards to anyone who got the COVID-19 shot, and brewing company Anheuser-Busch promised beer lovers a free round if the U.S. hit its vaccination goal of 70%.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Panera offers a freebie for customers vaccinated against COVID. Here’s how to get it."