Subscription services have gained popularity with customers with companies like Birch Box and Dollar Shave Club leading the way to disrupt their industries, and Panera Bread is hoping that its coffee subscription service will entice the more than 160 million American adults who drink coffee every day.

The chain is offering unlimited hot drip coffee, iced coffee and hot tea for $8.99 per month.

"Coffee is an important daily ritual for so many — it can give you a dose of optimism — it lifts you up," Panera CEO Niren Chaudhary said in a company press release. "We kept asking ourselves, why can't it be more accessible, more affordable? Moreover, could unlimited coffee translate to unlimited optimism?"

The goal, Chaudhary said, was to eliminate the price barrier and the false choices between convenience and quality — between good coffee and craveable food.  

"Panera is a challenger brand and with unlimited coffee we are disrupting the coffee business," Chaudhary said. "We are challenging the status quo because we believe everyone deserves a full cup, literally and figuratively."

The average American spends $1,100 on coffee a year, so Panera's subscription could save guests nearly $1,000 per year, Chaudhary said.

The coffee subscription is available now to members of MyPanera, Panera's free loyalty program, which allows members to register for the subscription via the Panera website and mobile app. Customers may also sign up Monday via QR code in Panera cafes.

In addition to its revamped coffee offerings and in line with its commitment to plant-based options, Panera has also removed the upcharge for plant-based milk in all U.S. Panera bakery-cafes.  Almond milk is now available on the coffee station free of charge, and the company is  exploring adding other non-dairy alternatives, according to the release.