Maggie McGrath is an associate editor at Forbes and the editor of ForbesWomen, the Forbes vertical dedicated to covering all angles of female entrepreneurship. [6], Panera offers a wide array of pastries and baked goods, such as bagels, brownies, cookies, croissants, muffins, and scones. EASY TO USE. [9], In February 2008, a class action lawsuit was filed against the company alleging it failed to disclose material adverse facts about the company's financial well-being, business relationships, and prospects. The deal brings the two chains back together again: They were part of the same came company in the 1990s, until Au Bon Pain was sold in 1999 to a private equity firm and Panera … Do not share access to this Service. [43][44], On April 2, 2018, Brian Krebs reported that the Panera Bread website had leaked between 7 million and 37 million customer records — including names, email and physical addresses, customer loyalty account numbers, birthdays, and the last four digits of the customers' credit card numbers — for at least eight months before the site was taken offline. [9][15], In May 1999, Au Bon Pain Co. sold Au Bon Pain to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. for $78 million, in order to focus on the Panera Bread chain. [20] In February 2011, Panera agreed to pay $5.75 million to shareholders while admitting no wrongdoing, settling the lawsuit. Panera Bread. SUMMARY OF TERMS GOVERNING ACCESS / USE: Do not access or use this site/app (“Service”) if you are not authorized to do so. [32], In September 2015, many Paradise Bakery & Café locations were rebranded as Panera Bread. [67], As of 2016, Panera advertises that their menu is 100% clean of GMOs and artificial preservatives. He and the late Louis Kane started Au Bon Pain in 1981. [10] Many locations restrict the duration of free Wi-Fi to 30 or 60 minutes during peak hours. On Wednesday, Panera Bread announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Au Bon Pain Holding Co. Inc. With the deal, Panera will acquire more than 300 Au Bon Pain locations around the world. [23], In November 2010, Panera Bread relocated its headquarters to Sunset Hills while vacating its Richmond Heights headquarters and Brentwood, Missouri offices. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. [79] The recipient of the sandwich was hospitalized briefly. Blaine has worked closely with Ron over the last several years on many of Panera’s most important initiatives. We can smell the fear (and bread bowls). The decrease in interest expense is primarily due to repayment of the Company’s outstanding debt with the proceeds from the sale of the Au Bon Pain Division. This departure seems likelier to stick. JAB began building its caffeine-focused empire with the 2012 purchase of a stake in Amsterdam-based D.E Master Blenders 1753 NV, the maker of Senseo and Douwe Egberts brands. She loves a good Forbes list, having edited the 30 Under 30 Food & Drink and Hollywood lists, the Just 100, and the World's Most Powerful Women. [55] It later expanded the concept to Dearborn, Michigan; Portland, Oregon; Chicago; and Boston. Their extensive menu is equipped with a large selection of tasty soups, sandwiches, salads, breakfast foods, and sweet treats, which can make deciding what to order while dining there quite a challenge. "[72] The plaintiff worked in a store owned by franchisee Sam Covelli,[74] who also owns the stores that were involved in the 2003 racial discrimination lawsuit. [9], Panera was once the largest provider of free Wi-Fi hotspots in the United States. Sign in If you're an Au Bon Pain associate, click here. [87], Panera was also rated No. Panera was notified privately about the vulnerability in August 2017 but failed to fix it until after it was disclosed publicly eight months later. In April, Panera announced that it … [64] In December 2016, it published its third animal welfare progress report, announcing new efforts to improve broiler chicken welfare. Before coming to Forbes, Maggie worked with TODAY show financial editor Jean Chatzky. The chain began in Boston in 1976 and is currently owned by Panera Bread. Crisis Catalyzes Demand For Digital Infrastructure, MoneyStamps Of South America - As Investments, They’re Different – Part 1, Covid-19 Related Municipal Defaults Begin, The Dynamics Of Price Discovery In The Stamp Market, Covid-19 Virus Affect On The Stamp Market. [66] Panera also supports events held by nonprofit organizations serving those in need by donating a certificate or fresh bakery products. [28] In 2017, digital orders accounted for over $1 billion in orders, or 26% of sales. [37][6], On July 18, 2017, JAB Holding Company acquired the company for $7.16 billion. The concept did well in densely populated cities like Boston, New York and Washington but didn’t fare as well… Place Orders Online or on your Mobile Phone. If you're an Au Bon Pain associate, or you're not an active Panera associate, click here . Panera Bread Company is an American chain store of bakery-café fast casual restaurants with over 2,000 locations, all of which are in the United States and Canada. [24] The company leased additional space for its headquarters in 2013. St. Louis-based Panera now has more than 2,000 restaurants and employs about 100,000. Two years later, Shaich acquired the St. Louis Bread Company, a then-19-unit chain he renamed to "Panera" in order to position it for national growth. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. These, along with Panera's artisan breads, are typically baked before dawn by an on-staff baker. Order Ahead and Skip the Line at Au Bon Pain. Panera Bread will become a new dining option on campus, replacing multiple Au Bon Pain locations, according to Penn State News. The food is delicious and you can tell that they use high quality, fresh ingredients. Delivery & Pickup Options - 30 reviews of Au Bon Pain "This cafe/bakery is very impressive. "This is the right time for me to step down as CEO while still staying involved in the business as chairman. [69], In 2009 and 2011, class action lawsuits were filed by former workers alleging that the company violated the California Labor Code, failed to pay overtime, failed to provide meal and rest periods, failed to pay employees upon termination, and violated California's Unfair Competition Law. Au Bon Pain is a chain of bakeries located in 28 states. The original location near St. Louis closed in January 2018. [19] The company purchased the balance of Paradise in June 2009. Similar to a debit card, you can add value online or in cafés. According to Panera's telling, Shaich realized in 1998 that Panera could be a dominant force on the national level, but in order for that to happen, ABP would need to be spun off. Clearly this is Au Bon Pain’s attempts to get customers on their side before the dangerous Panera Bread opens its doors. We put Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain in an extensive head-to-head test to find out who serves the better lunch. Boston-based Au Bon Pain has about 300 locations. [80], In December 2017, former employees filed a class action lawsuit against the company, claiming that they were not paid overtime wages. The space is large and well laid out. [83], In 2005, Panera ranked 37th on Bloomberg BusinessWeek's list of "Hot Growth Companies", earning $38.6 million with a 42.9 percent increase in profits. Many thought Shaich was crazy when, in 1999, he sold Au Bon Pain to concentrate on developing Panera , its small bakery division. Easy and convenient, our Au Bon Pain gift cards make a great gift for a friend or even for yourself! Register & Manage Your Gift Card. To this I say, Au Bon Pain, stop buying iPads and maybe you can lower the price of your food. You may only use this Service as authorized. [31] This policy outlines the company's values and sets a course for continuous improvement. In 1991 the company went public and used the money to expand at a rapid clip of 50 stores a year. Au Bon Pain is arguably one of the most popular casual restaurants, bakeries, and café chains in the country. "This acquisition offers the strategic opportunity for us to grow in several new real estate channels, including hospitals, universities, transportation centers and urban locations, among others.”, Panera also announced Wednesday afternoon that Shaich will step down as Panera CEO on January 1 in order to "better allocate his time between Panera, initiatives for JAB, and his personal investments and interests," the company said.