Panera Reimagines Unlimited Sips Club with New Drink Limits

Panera is modifying its Unlimited Sips Club subscription, a program launched in 2022. Effective August 19, the service will be renamed MyPanera + Sip Club and will introduce a limit of 30 drinks per redemption period. Previously, the subscription offered unlimited self-serve beverages, including hot and iced coffees, teas, fountain drinks, and lemonades, for a monthly fee of $10.99.

The subscription cost will remain $14.99 per month plus tax, or $119.99 annually plus tax. Members will continue to be able to redeem one beverage every two hours, with no delivery fees on eligible orders. A birthday treat will also still be included.

Panera is offering a promotional rate of $5 per month for the first three months to ease the transition for existing and new members. Eligibility requires being a MyPanera member and being at least 18 years old.

Customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the change, citing a reduction in value while the price remains the same. Some users on social media platforms like X have announced cancellations of their subscriptions. One user stated, "Now that you’ve subscribed to our Sip Club, we’re going to make a bunch of changes, eroding the value, but we’re going to keep you locked in – @panerabread Got the message, Panera. Sip Club sub canceled."

Another customer commented, "@panerabread way to shaft sip club subscribers! Less drinks at the same price. If you plan to reduce our benefits from paying to the sip club then you better be reducing our subscription prices too. Or you can kiss a lot of subscribers goodbye."

This adjustment to the Sip Club follows recent scrutiny of Panera's new Salad Stuffers, a menu item that involves placing salads inside a baked roll. Employees and customers have raised concerns about food waste and the value of this new offering.