Panera Bread Settles Lawsuit Over Woman's Death After Drinking 'Charged Lemonade'

The Panera Bread restaurant chain settled a wrongful death lawsuit involving its since-discontinued "Charged Lemonade" drinks, according to reports Monday.

A lawyer for the parents of Sarah Katz confirmed the pretrial agreement but said she couldn't disclose the terms, NBC News was first to report.

The deal was reportedly struck ahead of jury selection set for later this week. A Panera spokesperson didn't immediately return a request for comment, NBC said.

Katz, 21, died after drinking a highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade beverage she bought at Panera outlet in September 2022, according to the lawsuit her parents filed last year in Philadelphia.

The University of Pennsylvania student avoided energy drinks because she had a congenital heart condition and court papers alleged that Charged Lemonade was "offered side-by-side with all of Panera's non-caffeinated and/or less caffeinated drinks."

In addition to containing as much caffeine as dark roast coffee, Charged Lemonade also included guarana extract, another stimulant, NBC said.

Panera — which touts the "clean" ingredients in its menu items — stopped selling the drinks in May after posting warnings they contained caffeine, should be consumed in moderation and weren't recommended for children, pregnant or nursing women and people sensitive to caffeine.

It still faces three other lawsuits over Charged Lemonade, one involving the death of a Florida man and two that allege the beverages caused healthy people to suffer permanent heart problems.

Headquartered in Fenton, Missouri, Panara is owned by Luxembourg-based JAB Holding Co., a privately held investment firm that has more than $50 billion under management and also owns the Pret A Manger and Peet's Coffee chains.