Need brain food? Panera launches a special study menu

Can brain food help an all-night study session? Panera wants to help students stay energized for those end of semester cram sessions.

Could brain food help students to earn a coveted “A” on that challenging final? Panera wants to help all those students who are burning the midnight oil during finals season. After all, studying is always more productive with tasty, real food offerings.

At select Panera cafes, the restaurants will be open-all-night-hours for those college students who are looking to get in every last minute of precious study time. Since caffeine is a must, these select locations will offer complimentary coffee and snacks.

While coffee is an essential for many students, the special brand food menu is quite interesting. Based on the idea that Panera Fuels Finals, the menu selections were chosen to enhance the studying game. The menu seems to be a good balance between carbs and protein.

The menu is divided into three sections, fuel studies, keep the mind right and reset/motivation. Each section has a variety of choices that will appeal to a wide variety of preferences.

Looking at the various menu items, Panera does a great job of blending seriousness with a little humor. While the approach isn’t close to “mom mode,” it gives a gentle nudge to making smart choices. No one isn’t saying that you can’t have the chocolate chip cookie, just maybe enjoy a Roasted Turkey & Avocado BLT with it.

Adding this special all-night menu for college students is smart for the restaurant chain. Good study habits are learned. Intertwining a special place or a special meal with those study habits can make it a routine. Who didn’t have to have a particular breakfast, wear a specific pair of socks or use only “that” pen when taking that challenging final exam?

The Panera open-all-night-hours cafes are at select locations. The brain food menu is available at all Panera cafes.

Do you have a ritual before a big exam? Do you swear by some specific brain food?