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Wear This Bread Hat For Your Kentucky Derby Watch Party

Do you really love the Panera bread bowl so much that you’d wear your heart on your . . . head? If so, the cafe chain has just released an eccentric hat centered around the fan-favorite soup container. Though the bread bowl on the hat isn’t actually made of bread, it’s still enough of a statement piece for a particular upcoming event.

bread hat
Photos courtesy of Panera

The Kentucky Derby is one of those things, like awards shows or sitting courtside at a basketball game, that is a little more about the fashion than the actual event — although props to the mint julep for stealing some of the Kentucky Derby limelight. Kentucky Derby hats can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but the Panera bread bowl hat is available for just $21, and is perfect for a watch party of the Kentucky Derby, which takes place on May 3 and 4.

Who made the Panera bread bowl hat?

A lot of fast food and chain companies are trying to get into the merchandise game, like Jollibee, KFC, and even Poppi has entered into street-wear. If you visit ThePaneraShop.com, you’ll find that Panera has a lot of unique and cute merchandise items, like bathing suits, dog-leashes, a shoulder purse (the BAGuette), and my personal favorite, the mac n’ cheese pillow. And now, the Panera bread bowl hat.

bread hat
Photo from Panera

Officially called the “bread head hat,” this Derby-style hat was designed by A-Morir, who has created a ton of custom accessories for A-list celebrities like Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga (no, not the meat dress). The bread bowl part of the hat is actually 3D-printed, and sits atop an array of ostrich feathers in green, yellow, and orange. Perhaps an ode to the beloved broccoli cheddar soup?

The $21 price tag is not only a good deal, but it’s also a nod to the 21 new and enhanced menu items under $10 that Panera released earlier this month. “We are getting back to Panera at its best with these menu updates that are centered completely on our guests and what they love about us,” said SVP of product strategy and insights Alicia Mowder. The enhanced menu includes staples of comfort foods that Panera does best, with sandwiches like the Tomato Basil BLT, salads like the Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad, and a new spin on arguably Panera’s most popular item with Bacon Mac N’ Cheese.

Any online purchases of the bread hat also includes a $100 Panera gift card that you can use to try these new and enhanced menu items — girl math, that’s like making $79. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, the bread hat is already sold out. But hey, maybe your Derby hat for this year’s watch party can be DIY!

Jessica Gomez is a national writer for Spoon University. She covers general food-related news stories, and also writes features. Outside of Her Campus, Jessica is a junior at Emerson College, majoring in Creative Writing (BFA) and minoring in Journalism. She was previously a nonfiction intern at The Upper New Review in Sparta, North Carolina. In addition to food, Jessica also likes writing about womanhood, sex positivity, and travel reviews. Jessica's other work can be found in Polaris Magazine and Glass Mountain Magazine. In her free time, Jessica plays softball, and is co-captain of Emerson's team. She, of course, enjoys cooking, and also loves hosting dinner parties. As a former barista, Jessica also loves hunting for great coffee spots in Boston.