Panera Gets in on Roman Empire Viral Trend With New Menu

The viral TikTok trend inspired a new, online-only Panera menu.

By Nicole Drum

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If you've spent any time on TikTok lately, you've probably seen videos about the Roman Empire. No, we don't mean videos about world history. There's been a viral trend on the social media platform of women asking the men in their lives how often they think about the Roman Empire only to discover that, in most cases, it's surprisingly frequently. And if there is one thing the world loves, it's taking a viral trend to interesting new lengths and that's where Panera comes in. On Tuesday, the chain launched their very own "Roman Empire Menu" of menu times "you just can't stop thinking about."

The menu, which is available only online, consists of some of the chain's most popular items, including its Broccoli Cheddar Soup, the Toasted Frontega Chicken sandwich, the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel, and more.  You can check the whole menu out for yourself here.

This Isn't The First Time A Viral TikTok Trend Has Gotten Its Own Menu

Earlier this year, another viral TikTok trend got its own menu — that time at Popeyes. In July, Popeyes featured their "girl dinner" menu. The menu consisted of just sides, allowing customers to create their own perfect comfort meal as inspired by the "girl dinner" trend. That trend started back in May with a video posted by user Olivia Maher.

"A girl just came on here and said how, like, in medieval times peasants had to eat nothing but bread and cheese and how awful that was — and she was like that's my ideal meal," Maher said in the video. "I call this 'girl dinner' or 'medieval peasant.'"

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The "typical" "girl dinner" doesn't appear to have any set construct and is mostly just a collection of food options that don't necessarily adhere to any standard rules about what a meal should be, though many of the meals shared on TikTok tend to resemble snack plates or even collections of side dishes — and as some have noted, have been a popular way of eating in Europe.

Will you be checking out Panera's Roman Empire menu? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

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