Panera Bread
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company_slogan = A loaf of bread in every arm | foundation = 1981 in Richmond Heights, Missouri| location = Richmond Heights, MO, United States | key_people = Ronald M. Shaich, Founder, Chairman & CEO
Louis Kane, Founder
| industry = Restaurants | num_employees = 4,746 full time (December 2005) | revenue = Image:Green up.png$597.09 million USD (2005) | products = Fast casual/Bakery-café, including several varieties of bread, such as bagels and muffins, cold sandwiches, hot panini, salads, and soups | homepage = www.panera.com
}} Panera Bread (Template:Nasdaq), is a chain of bakery café restaurants in the United States, specializing in serving specialty breads, sandwiches, soups, and other bakery items. The meaning of the name, "Panera," translates as "bread time" (the Latin word for bread being "pan" and the word for time, "era").
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Corporate history
Image:Chicago panera bread.jpg In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co. purchased the Saint Louis Bread Company and renovated the 20 bakery-cafés in the St. Louis area.
In May 1999, in order to expand Panera Bread into a national chain, Au Bon Pain Co. divested itself of all other chains (including Au Bon Pain, which is now owned by Compass Group North America[1]). Au Bon Pain Co. then renamed itself Panera Bread Company. The Panera Bread Company now operates or franchises over 850 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in 36 states and 17 manufacturing plants to support the bakery-cafés.
Ironically, in the St. Louis area, the stores themselves are still branded as The St. Louis Bread Company. However, they serve a full Panera menu, and most in-store signs, cups, and even napkins are branded as Panera Bread. The "St. Louis Bread Co.-Panera" dual branding, however, does cause confusion and arguments over which is the chain's "proper" name.
Menu
Items available include several different types of bread, from loaves to bagels to muffins. They also have Republic of Tea tea, Jones Sodas and several coffee-based drinks. In the past, Panera had an exclusive distribution deal with Jones to have an early version of their new chocolate-flavored soda.
Both cold sandwiches and hot paninis are also available, along with salads and soups. The menu partially rotates with seasonal items five times a year, with approximately two new salads and/or sandwiches being available at any one given time. They also offer four to six different types of soup daily, including at least one vegetarian selection, and two seasonal soups which rotate along with the rest of the menu, along with French Onion soup, a permanent menu fixture. Beginning mid-2006, Panera will begin to offer specialty Crispanis (mini-pizzas) in the evenings to further expand the menu and increase evening business.
In addition to baked goods, most locations offer free wireless Internet access to customers.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing side of the company is run by Mike Powell, VP. There are 17 manufacturing plants that produce fresh dough daily 363 days a year.