Panera launches 'energy refreshers' with 10% the caffeine as its Charged Lemonade, which was linked to 2 deaths

• Panera Bread launched two new lightly caffeinated "refresher" drinks.
• The new refreshers contain a fraction of the caffeine of Panera's discontinued Charged Lemonade.
• At least four lawsuits alleged that consuming Charged Lemonade led to deaths and major injuries.

Panera Bread is getting back into the caffeine game.

The fast-casual chain is rolling out a new line of lightly caffeinated drinks about two years after it discontinued its Charged Lemonade, which was linked to two deaths and multiple lawsuits.

Starting March 11, Panera will offer "Energy Refreshers," a pair of fruit-flavored drinks containing about 28 milligrams of caffeine in a 20-ounce cup and up to 44 milligrams in a 30-ounce serving, a company press release said.

That's roughly 10% of the caffeine that was in a similar-sized Charged Lemonade, which contained as much as 260 milligrams in a small cup — more caffeine than three cans of Red Bull (77.4 mg), or a Red Bull and a can of Monster Energy (160 mg) combined.

By contrast, Panera's new Energy Refreshers contain about as much caffeine as a can of soda and significantly less than a typical cup of coffee, which generally has around 95 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-ounce serving.

The new drinks, debuting in Dragonfruit Sunset and Passionfruit Paradise flavors, will be sold alongside a separate, caffeine-free line called "Frescas," available in Cherry Lime and Strawberry Basil Lemonade variations.

Panera said in a press release that the beverages are made with real fruit and will be available nationwide. To promote the launch, the company is offering a free Energy Refresher or Fresca with a Mix & Match order on March 11 using a promotional code.

The move marks Panera's first major caffeinated beverage launch since it pulled Charged Lemonade from restaurants in 2024 following a series of lawsuits alleging the beverage caused serious health issues and deaths.

In one case, the family of a 21-year-old University of Pennsylvania student who had a heart condition sued Panera, alleging she died after drinking Charged Lemonade in 2022.

Two additional suits stemmed from claims that the beverage's caffeine content was not adequately disclosed. One alleged that a woman suffered permanent cardiac injuries after drinking the lemonade, and a second alleged that a Pennsylvania teenager suffered cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated hours after he drank a Charged Lemonade.

By July 2025, Panera had settled at least three of the lawsuits, though the terms of the settlements were not disclosed.

Panera has said it stands by the safety of its products but ultimately decided to discontinue Charged Lemonade. When reached by Business Insider, a representative for Panera said its menu refresh is part of its "RISE" revitalization effort, intended to give guests "the variety and choice they have come to expect from Panera."

"We're excited to add new Energy Refreshers and Frescas to our menu to expand our beverage lineup and complement our other menu items, from herbal teas and lemonades to coffee, smoothies, and more," the spokesperson said.

Consumer demand for caffeinated drinks has shown no signs of slowing since Charged Lemonade was phased out. Mainstream consumer-packaged goods brands like Celsius and Alani Nu have surged in popularity as energy drinks increasingly appeal to health- and wellness-oriented consumers, with Alani Nu surpassing $1 billion in US retail sales over the past year.

The introduction of the lower-caffeine drinks suggests Panera is still betting on consumer demand for energy-boosting beverages — just with a markedly different formulation.