Au Bon Pain Named Healthiest Chain Restaurant By Grellin

BOSTON, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Year is here and New Year's resolutions and commitments to health are a primary focus for many. To help those seeking healthy food choices stick to their goals, Au Bon Pain releases a winter menu that balances its signature pastry items with fresh, health-conscious ingredients. From today through March 1, 2015, the winter menu showcases nutritious selections that will help keep dieters on track in 2015—including a Turkey & Poached Pear salad, 12 Veggie Soup and Turkey Sausage & Egg White Flatbread.

The healthful options at the cafe recently received national recognition when Au Bon Pain was ranked first out of 100 nationwide restaurant chains by Grellin, a website that uses publicly available data on restaurant food to determine which restaurants have the healthiest menus and ranks the restaurants based on healthy options, providing a "Grellin grade."

To start the day nutritiously, Au Bon Pain offers several breakfast sandwiches with egg whites, including its new whole-grain flatbread sandwich. After hearing consumer feedback requesting turkey sausage, the cafe added the ingredient to this newest sandwich, for a source of lean protein. The new banana & Greek yogurt parfait is another high-protein breakfast item with a sweet twist of honey.

"Au Bon Pain is focused on eating flavorfully in a balanced way," said Maria Feicht, Au Bon Pain's chief brand officer. "We offer healthy yet delicious choices for those watching their caloric intake. We've always been transparent about our calorie counts, which are posted in cafes. Each ingredient is thoughtfully selected, turning sandwiches into comfort foods, soups into fresh and nutritiously dense meals and the occasional pastry into a deliciously indulgent splurge."

Of course, while being sensible about food is important, there's always that occasional indulgence, and Au Bon Pain has freshly baked pastries ready for those who just want to share a special treat. In the new menu, a new chocolate-chip cookie is oozing with one-third chocolate and the drink of the season is the Caffe Milano, a mix of chocolate, hazelnut and espresso that's available hot or iced for only $1.99 every day. To provide guests with a dessert bar crafted in the ABP way, the cafe developed a lemon-infused delight. And to make sure Valentines have a special way of sharing their love, the signature CroisBun™ will be bursting with strawberry cream and chocolate.

From breakfast to dinner and snacks in between, Au Bon Pain has a well-rounded menu of options this winter. The full updated menu is as follows:

• Turkey Sausage & Egg White Flatbread—Egg whites, turkey sausage, fresh spinach and sharp cheddar cheese served on a crunchy whole-grain flatbread.
• Banana & Greek Yogurt Parfait—Greek nonfat vanilla yogurt over fresh honey-glazed bananas served with a side of toasted granola.
• Turkey & Poached Baby Pear Salad—All-natural turkey, goat cheese, honey-roasted pecans, poached pears served on mixed salad greens with balsamic vinaigrette blend for a rustic winter salad.
• 12 Veggie Soup—Diced tomatoes, potatoes, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, peas, onions, broccoli, corn, celery, mushrooms and red bell peppers swimming in a vegetable broth.
• Country Grilled Cheese with Tomato & Bacon—A comfort food classic, this sandwich is a customer favorite.
• Waldorf Turkey Wrap—All-natural turkey, apples, cranberries and walnuts mixed with mayo, cheddar and romaine with maple-walnut dressing in a whole-wheat wrap.
• Hot and Iced Caffe Milano—Espresso, chocolate and hazelnut topped with frothed milk and cocoa.
• Chocolate & Strawberry Cream CroisBun™—Inspired by Valentine's Day, the signature Au Bon Pain Chocolate CroisBun™ will be filled with strawberry cream.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie—Packed with one-third rich chocolate chips, butter and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, these cookies are the chocolatiest cookies ABP has created. On Jan. 13, the cookie will be offered for free from 2pm to 5pm, followed by a sale of $1 per cookie from Jan. 14 until Jan. 29.
• Lemon Crumble Bar—All-natural lemon filling on shortbread crust and topped with streusel.

For more information on the new menu or to find an Au Bon Pain location near you, visit www.aubonpain.com.

About Au Bon Pain

Founded in 1978, Au Bon Pain ("the place of good bread") has grown into an internationally recognized leader in the fast-casual restaurant category. The chain's signature items—sandwiches, breads, pastries, salads, soups and coffee—are served in welcoming cafe environments emphasizing quick service and hospitality. Au Bon Pain offers consumers a wide array of delicious, nutritional foods, and over the past three years has earned Health magazine's designation as one of America's Top 5 Healthiest Restaurant Chains and was recently voted the #1 healthiest restaurant chain by Grellin.

Au Bon Pain operates in six key trade channels including urban office buildings, hospitals, universities, transportation centers, malls and museums, with locations ranging from 300-square-foot satellites to 6,500-square-foot cafes with 100-plus seats. Au Bon Pain currently operates in more than 310 locations in the U.S. and internationally. Additional information about Au Bon Pain, which is headquartered in Boston, may be found at www.aubonpain.com.

Contact:
Melissa Dorman
[email protected]
(917) 251-2415

SOURCE Au Bon Pain

Related Links

http://www.aubonpain.com