Panera no longer has baked potato soup in their cafes or restaurants as it was removed from menu in early 2022.
However Panera does still make and sell Panera baked potato soup in stores like Walmart that you can buy and heat up at home to eat.
Panera's Rustic baked potato soup is a creamy, savory soup that contains homestyle potato chunks, bacon, chives and Monterey Jack that is often topped with sour cream and Asiago.
The reason why Panera stopped making Baked Potato Soup is because the Baked Potato Soup was a seasonal food item, that was designed to be sold and return during the cooler months.
Although other reasons for Panera stopping making their Baked Potato Soup was also a result of menu streamlining efforts, with some sources even suggesting that there were supplier issues as well as company wide focuses on sandwiches and salads, which resulted in the retired status of the Panera Baked Potato Soup.
Some people hoped that the Panera Baked Potato Soup would return, in the Fall and Winter of 2024, but it hasn't returned and remains on the retired list.
Some speculation also suggests that Panera stopped making it's Baked Potato Soup due to low sales or operational changes.
The Rustic Baked Potato Soup at Panera was basically just a limited time offering, which was typically available during the colder seasons, and was retired as warmer weather approached.
In early 2024, Panera also undertook some significant updates to their menu, and removed many items to refocus on salads and sandwiches, with the Panera Rustic Baked Potato Soup being one of their casualties so they removed it from their menu.
Panera Rustic Baked Potato Soup also was removed as it coincided with other popular items, which suggests poor sales, or an external factor like a supplier going out of business.
And even Panera's website lists the Rustic Baked Potato Soup as retired, which also indicates that the Panera Baked Potato Soup is not expected to return soon, even though there is demand for it.