If you’re always popping into the same coffee shop for a quick cup—and that coffee shop just happens to be Panera—you might want to get a subscription.
Yep. It’s a coffee subscription. Because everything’s a subscription now.
But this one may be worthwhile for the diehard drip coffee fan. Here’s how it works:
You sign up for a Panera Coffee subscription for $8.99 per month (plus tax). You have to be a member of the MyPanera rewards program to sign up, but that program is free.
You show up whenever you want. (Fine print: You can only show up every two hours.) You can order one hot coffee, iced coffee, or hot tea each visit.
That’s it. In addition, Panera now lets you pour your own almond milk at the coffee station for free, eliminating the upcharge for it.
Panera’s coffee usually costs $2.09 for a 16 oz. cup and $2.39 for a 20 oz cup. Meanwhile, iced coffee typically costs $2.19 for 20 oz. or $2.59 for 32 oz. Hot tea will run you $2.19.
The math on this one is pretty simple. If you get a large hot coffee at Panera once a week, you’re paying $9.56. So you break even if you’re not the person who stops in every single day on their way to the office.
And if you do roll bleary-eyed into Panera 20 days each month, you get your morning boost for about 45 cents.