Why Panera Bread’s Stamping Sugar and Calorie Counts Right On Your Cup

Transparency in food is always a plus, as we should know what’s in the food we buy, but are you ready to have it staring at you with every drink you take?

While it has become more common for restaurants to post all ingredients in their food, along with calorie counts, Panera Bread is taking things to the next level by actually stamping the calorie and added sugar counts of their 20-ounce drinks, right on the cups they hand you.

Now, whenever you look down at your cup, you’ll come face to face with the “Sweet Facts,” coming from its regular cola, lemonades, and even their teas.

The move coincides with their latest release of low-calorie, low-sugar drinks, and in an interview with The Street, Panera founder Ron Shaich said, “We want to challenge people to think about what’s in their food.”

He added that they’re not trying to be the, “Food police,” as evident by their willingness to sell sugary fountain drinks, but they also want to encourage people make more informed decisions about what they put into their bodies.

They started a soft rollout this week in major cities such as Los Angeles and New York, but you can expect to see them at all of their restaurants by mid-September.