55 verified catering prices9-city averageChecked Sept 30, 2026
Panera Menu Guide Plan my order

The Catering Planner · 2026 catering menu

Panera Catering: Prices, Portions & How to Order (2026)

Real 2026 pack prices, an honest headcount planner, and the boxed-vs-platter decision. Every other catering page hands you a price list and leaves you guessing how much to order for 12 people. This one starts with your headcount and ends with the quantities. Every pack here is built from items in our full menu breakdown, so the per person math ties back to everyday prices.

Panera catering is the group-ordering service from Panera Bread's bakery-cafes: the same sandwiches, soups, salads, and bakery items from the regular menu, packed in group quantities and ordered a day or two ahead through Panera's catering channel.

$1.42Per person, breakfastBagel Pack $18.46, feeds about 13 (typical) $5.41Per person, group soupEvery soup pan $21.62, feeds about 4 (typical) $13 to $18Per boxed lunchThrough catering channels, on catering listings 24 to 48 hOrder aheadThe safe window (typical)

Independent guide, not affiliated with Panera. Prices are verified 9-city averages checked September 30, 2026. Serving sizes and delivery fees are not in our checked menu numbers, so every “serves N” and fee figure on this page is labeled typical, not as a confirmed Panera figure.

The centerpiece

How much do I need?

Set your headcount and pick the meal. The planner rounds every pack up and builds in a 10% buffer, because running short at a meeting is worse than leftover cookies.

How many people?
12guests
Which meal?

How the math works: one Bagel Pack covers about 13 guests (typical), plus one cream cheese tub per pack. Quantities always round up, so the 10% buffer is built in before anything else gets added.

Your breakfast order

Estimated total$0.00
Per person$0.00

Food prices above are verified 9-city averages. Serving counts (pack of 13, pan of 4, half gallon of 8 cups) come from cafe listings, not from Panera’s published data, so the planner rounds up with a 10% buffer: order a little extra; leftovers beat shortages. Delivery fees are not included: catering delivery typically starts around $15.

The first decision

Boxed or platter?

Before you touch a price list, pick the format. It is the single biggest cost swing in catering: the same 12 people can run $65 or $190 depending on this one choice.

Individual format

Boxed lunches

$13 to $18 per person, on catering listings

  • Win when dietary needs are mixed: each box is one person’s meal, built and labeled separately.
  • No serving setup: hand them out, done. Nothing to serve, portion, or keep warm.
  • Professional settings: client meetings, interviews, anywhere a shared tray looks casual.
  • Headcount is exact: you order 12 boxes for 12 people, no waste math.

The trade: it is the priciest format per person, and per-person prices here come from marketplace reports, not our checked menu numbers.

Shared format

Pans, packs & platters

$1.42 to $5.41 per person, verified prices, servings typical

  • Budget matters most: bagel packs and soup pans stretch further per person than any box.
  • Casual grazing: team lunches, training days, and rooms where people drift in and out.
  • Everyone eats the same: one soup pan flavor is fine when the group is not picky.
  • You control the buffer: round pans up for big appetites instead of paying per head.

The trade: you own the setup and the serving math, and the serving counts are typical, so the 10% buffer is not optional.

The honest line: boxed lunches cost about $13 to $18 per person (on catering listings), while pans and packs stretch much further per person on verified prices. Pay the boxed premium for convenience and dietary control; pay for pans when the budget is the decision.

Verified price lists

Every catering price we could verify

55 catering and group figures, averaged across 9 US cities and checked September 30, 2026. Where a serving count is listed by cafes, the per-person math is shown and labeled typical. Where it does not, we print the price and say so.

Breakfast packs

Bagel packs, dozens & spreads

The cheapest way to feed a room, full stop. Reports put a Bagel Pack at about 13 bagels; a Dozen & a Half stretches to about 18. Pair every pack with a cream cheese tub or the bagels sit dry.

Bagel PackServes ~13 (typical)
$18.46~$1.42 per person
Dozen & a Half BagelsServes ~18 (typical)
$17.40~$0.97 per person
Baker’s Dozen Bagels13 bagels
$13.68~$1.05 per bagel
Tuesday Baker’s DozenTuesday price, 13 bagels
$9.84~28% under the regular dozen
Half Dozen Bagels6 bagels
$8.95~$1.49 per bagel
Cream Cheese Spread, Tub 8 oz
$3.78Plain or Honey Walnut
Cream Cheese Spread, Individual 1.5 oz
$1.73Plain or Honey Walnut
Single bagelsAsiago Everything 370 cal · Asiago 350 · Cinnamon Crunch 430 · Chocolate Chip 330 · Everything 300 · Sesame 310 · Cinnamon Swirl & Raisin 300 · Blueberry 290 · Plain 280 · Multigrain Flat 190
$1.98each · Protein Bagel $1.99

Family Feasts

6 bundles, $16.27 to $45.74

The shortcut order: one bundle instead of five line items. Honest note: Panera does not publish nutrition for the Feast bundles, so we show prices only, and serving counts are typical, not confirmed.

Egg Sandwich Feast
$16.27the breakfast bundle
Baked Goods Feast
$16.49the pastry bundle
Family Feast
$36.09the base bundle
Premium Family Feast
$40.57upgraded mains
Family Feast with Cookies
$41.25base plus dessert
Premium Family Feast with Cookies
$45.74the full spread

Group Soups & Mac

10 pans, one flat soup price

The planner’s favorite lunch format. Every soup pan is the same verified $21.62, and cafes list a pan at about four servings: roughly $5.41 per person for a hot lunch. Calories listed are per pan.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Group~990 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup, Group~420 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Creamy Tomato Soup, Group~840 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, Group~700 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Bistro French Onion Soup, Group~810 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Rustic Baked Potato Soup, Group~990 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Autumn Squash Soup, Group~760 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Three Cheese Lasagna Soup, Group~820 cal per pan
$21.62~$5.41 per person
Mac & Cheese, Group~1,950 cal per pan
$24.90~$6.23 per person
Bacon Mac & Cheese, Group~2,110 cal per pan
$28.00~$7.00 per person

Per-person figures assume about four servings per pan (typical). Bacon Mac is the calorie heavyweight at roughly 2,110 cal per pan: it is a main, not a side, so count it as one.

Group Beverages

7 half gallons, $7.66 to $10.11

One half gallon covers about eight cups (typical): budget roughly one per 6 to 8 guests. The unsweet tea is the zero-regret add at $7.66; the frescas cost $2.45 more for the fruit flavor.

Iced Unsweetened Tea, Half Gallon~20 cal
$7.66the planner default
Agave Lemonade, Half Gallon~670 cal
$7.66sweet, still cheap
Blackberry Hibiscus Iced Tea, Half Gallon0 cal
$7.66caffeine-free lane
Passion Papaya Iced Green Tea, Half Gallon~460 cal
$7.66lightly sweet
Iced Sweet Tea, Half Gallon~560 cal
$8.03the Southern option
Cherry Lime Fresca, Half Gallon~960 cal
$10.11the fruit splurge
Strawberry Basil Lemonade Fresca, Half Gallon~880 cal
$10.11the fruit splurge

Bakery Packs

12 packs, $4.94 to $23.23

Dessert is a per-piece decision. A dozen Chocolate Chippers works out to about $1.94 per cookie; the Petite 12-Pack drops that to roughly $0.57 per mini. Buy dozens for a crowd, 4-packs for a table.

One Dozen Chocolate Chipper Cookies~390 cal each
$23.23~$1.94 per cookie
One Dozen Mixed Cookies
$23.14~$1.93 per cookie
Petite Chocolate Chipper Cookies 12-Pack~100 cal each
$6.85~$0.57 per mini
Pumpkin Cookie 6-Pack~460 cal each
$13.19seasonal
Cinnamon Roll 4-Pack~580 cal each
$10.62~$2.66 per roll
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll 4-Pack~650 cal each
$10.62seasonal
Chocolate Chipper Cookie 4-Pack~390 cal each
$8.53~$2.13 per cookie
Candy Cookie 4-Pack~410 cal each
$8.53~$2.13 per cookie
Oatmeal Raisin with Berries Cookie 4-Pack~340 cal each
$8.53~$2.13 per cookie
PB&J Cookie 4-Pack~390 cal each
$8.61~$2.15 per cookie
Dubai Style Chocolate Pistachio Cookie 4-Pack~220 cal each
$5.97~$1.49 per cookie
Macaroon 3-Pack
$4.94cheapest pack on the page

Reading these lists: prices are 9-city averages checked September 30, 2026, and your cafe may vary. Serving counts and per-person figures come from cafe listings because Panera does not publish serving sizes for these formats; we label them typical wherever they appear and round the planner up with a 10% buffer to cover the gap.

Breakfast catering

The $1.42 breakfast

Office breakfast is where catering budgets go to feel good about themselves. One Bagel Pack covers about 13 people for $18.46 (typical), so the room eats for less than the price of two lattes.

~$1.42 per person

Add a cream cheese tub ($3.78) per pack and the real number lands near $1.71 per person, still the cheapest catered breakfast on this page. Time it for a Tuesday and the Baker’s Dozen drops to $9.84: about $0.76 per bagel.

  1. 1

    Count heads, add 10%

    Round up before you order. Late additions are the whole game in office breakfast.

  2. 2

    One pack per 13, one tub per pack

    Bagel Pack $18.46 plus a $3.78 tub. Mix Plain and Honey Walnut if the room splits.

  3. 3

    Add one hot anchor if it is a real meal

    The Egg Sandwich Feast is $16.27. Skip it for a light morning; add it when breakfast is the meeting.

How to order

Four steps, no surprises

Catering goes wrong on logistics, not on menu choices. Here is the order that works, with the fee and minimum figures labeled typical, not confirmed.

1

Count your guests

Use the planner above: headcount first, format second, flavors last. Add the 10% buffer for plus-ones and big appetites.

2

Pick the format

Boxed for mixed dietary needs and zero setup; pans and packs when the budget rules. The boxed-or-platter call takes two minutes and saves real money.

3

Order 24 to 48 hours ahead

Typically, that is the safe window. Order at catering.panerabread.com and call the cafe for anything larger than two packs.

4

Delivery or pickup

Typically, standard delivery starts around $5 and catering delivery around $15 and up. Pickup skips the fee entirely: for two packs or less, it is usually the right call.

Minimum orders, honestly

Typically, minimums vary by cafe and order type: roughly $5 for standard delivery, higher for catering orders. There is no single national number we can verify, so confirm your cafe’s minimum at checkout rather than planning around a figure from a list site.

Delivery fees, honestly

Fees are not in our checked menu numbers. Reports put standard delivery near $5 and catering delivery at $15 and up, scaled by order size and distance. Treat any exact fee you see online, including ours, as a planning estimate until checkout confirms it.

Where your next question leads

Torn between individual boxes and shared trays? Compare boxed lunches when everyone needs their own meal. For a more casual spread, see how party trays feed a crowd for less per person.

Planning a morning event instead? Here is the breakfast catering version of this math.

Questions, answered

Panera catering: the short answers

  • Typically, minimums vary by location and order type. Standard delivery minimums run around $5, while catering orders carry higher minimums and fees (about $15 and up (typical)). Confirm your cafe’s current minimum at checkout before planning around a number you saw online.

  • Typically, 24 to 48 hours ahead is the safe window. Bagel packs and feasts are often available faster, but large same-day orders are the ones that go wrong. Order early, and call the cafe for anything bigger than two packs. The ordering steps walk through the timing.

  • Typically, a boxed lunch pairs a sandwich or salad with chips and a cookie, ready to hand to one person. Expect about $13 to $18 per person through catering channels (on catering listings). Contents and pricing vary by cafe, so confirm the mix when you order. See the boxed-or-platter decision for when the format is worth it.

  • About four people per group pan (typical). At the verified $21.62 price, that is roughly $5.41 per person, which is why soup pans are the cheapest hot lunch format on this page. Serving counts are not published by Panera, so round up if your group has big appetites: the planner does this automatically.

  • It depends on the format. Breakfast can start at about $1.42 per person (a Bagel Pack at $18.46 feeding about 13 people (typical)). Group soup pans land near $5.41 per person. Boxed lunches run about $13 to $18 per person, on catering listings. The planner does the math for your headcount.

  • Yes: order at catering.panerabread.com and choose delivery or pickup. Standard delivery fees start around $5, and catering delivery fees run higher (about $15 and up). Fees vary by location and order size, so treat them as a planning estimate, not a promise. Our delivery guide covers the everyday delivery routes in depth.

  • Boxed lunches handle mixed dietary needs best, because each box is one person’s meal and can be built differently. For shared formats, anchor one pan on a vegetarian option (group Tomato or Broccoli Cheddar soup) and confirm allergen details with the cafe. This guide does not publish dietary flags it cannot verify; the nutrition guide has the verified numbers behind every pick.

Plan the whole table

The packs are only the start. These guides cover the meal itself, the route it travels, and the numbers behind every item.

The morning menu

Breakfast catering starts here

Bagel Stacks, egg sandwiches, and the full breakfast lineup with verified nutrition, for when the Bagel Pack needs backup.

Breakfast guide
The route

Delivery, compared honestly

Four ways food reaches your door, with the fee stack most pages skip. Read it before you pay a catering delivery fee.

Delivery guide
The numbers

Check the nutrition before you commit

All 247 listed items with protein, calories, and sodium, so the group order survives contact with real dietary needs.

Nutrition guide