Panera Bread CEO challenges fast-food execs to eat off kids' menu for one week

Panera Bread's founder and CEO Ron Shaich slammed fast food chains like Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King for their unhealthy menu options while urging them to halt marketing sugary foods and artificial ingredients to kids.

What happened?

He challenged his rivals' executives to eat off their own kids' menu for one week – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Panera Bread just introduced a kid’s menu with smaller portions and a more traditional menu that includes nearly 250 healthy combinations. Panera Bread is ditching the marketing gimmicks, sugary drinks, artificial ingredients, and toys in exchange for “clean” items.

“For too long, food chains in the United States have served our children poorly, offering menu items like pizza, nuggets, fries accompanied by cheap toys and sugar-laced drinks,” Shaich said on Twitter.

Despite recent changes to menu items, several fast food chains are struggling to stay afloat.

Today, Jeffy Fisher joined “Pat Gray Unleashed” to discuss his discontent with kid’s meal options while sharing the news that many of America’s fast food chains are slipping in the ranks.

"Chilis has made a big deal about changing their menu and going back to the basics," said Jeffy. "Their takeout business is through the roof and so they want to bring that old menu back which lessens what they have to cook in the kitchen. But, if you're a restaurant that is now starting to struggle maybe a little bit, you take on the big guys, right?"

Neither Pat nor Jeffy seemed sold on Shaich's deduction.

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