Dinner At Panera?

(RTTNews) - Panera is revamping its menu and has introduced 10 new dinner items to its list as the sandwich chain wants its customers to visit them for even dinner.

Panera on Wednesday announced that it is testing an entirely new dinner menu featuring items such as flatbreads, bowls, meatier sandwiches as well as vegetable side dishes like roasted parmesan broccoli and sweet potato mash.

The chain will be testing the dinner menu at a single location in Jacksonville, Florida, and will expand it to nine stores in Lexington, Kentucky, next month.

About a third of Panera's business currently comes from the evening hours, with the remaining two-thirds mostly dedicated to lunch. Panera is striving to increase its sales outside the lunch rush. Earlier this year, the chain debuted a new breakfast menu with three new breakfast wraps and updated coffee options.

The company expects the new dinner-focused menu will increase sales in evening.

"We're not trying to go after the sit-down meal, the table service with alcohol sort of occasion," said Dan Weigel, Panera's chief growth and strategy officer. "This is the weekday occasion where it's one or two spouses who are time-starved and stressed and not wanting to trade off between quality and convenience."