Panera makes special batch of soup for sick grandmother

Frequent visitors to Panera know the franchise serves its clam chowder on Fridays only. No big deal for someone like me, who prefers broccoli cheddar to the New England classic. But for Theresa Cook, an 84-year-old who is dying of pancreatic cancer, it’s another story. Panera made a touching exception to its Friday-only rule when her grandson called a Nashua, N.H., location asking if it would prepare a special batch for his hospitalized grandma who was craving the soup. Not only did they oblige, but the kind folks at the Panera did it free of charge and threw in cookies. No wonder a Facebook post from Cook’s grandson thanking Panera for its hospitality has gone viral, currently approaching 600,000 “likes.”