Panera bread recently rolled out a discount menu called Mix & Match with “$4.99 each” prominently displayed on its website.

If you just glance at the offer, you might assume, as I did, that you could get a full meal for $4.99. That would put Panera in the same territory as, say, Wendy’s with its Biggie Deals. But that’s not how it works.

Mix and Match lets diners choose among 13 items — four sandwiches, three salads and three soups — to include in a combo. Each half sandwich, half salad or cup of soup is $4.99, but you have to choose at least two. The total comes to $9.98.

But, you say, Panera already has You Pick Two, which does pretty much the same thing. That option remains, but Mix & Match lets you keep on adding half sandwiches, half salads and cups of soup for $4.99 each until you reach 10 items.

Also, You Pick Two gives you several more choices for your combos, such as mac & cheese, its popular Broccoli Cheddar Soup and its current Bagel Stacks, albeit at higher prices. Items cost $6.19 to $8.59.

We tested Mix & Match at an in-store kiosk. We ordered a Bacon Turkey Bravo half sandwich and a Ranch Parm BLT half salad. The $9.98 total, not counting tax, was $4.70 lower than the same items would be in You Pick Two.

Mix & Match, like You Pick Two, comes with a side: a half baguette, an apple or a bag of chips. The baguette is the default, and if you don’t change it at checkout that’s what you’ll get.

The combos don’t include beverages.

We fell for the cross-sell at checkout and added on an order of the new Asiago Croissant Twists for $1.99, which wasn’t a discount.

Incidentally, $4.99 is an example of what business software company Intuit calls charm pricing. It fools your brain into thinking an item costs less than $5.

Information: panerabread.com

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