Panera Bread Company is an American bakery-café fast-casual restaurant chain, offering bakery items, pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, and specialty drinks. Originally founded in 1987 as...
Panera Bread Company is an American bakery-café fast-casual restaurant chain, offering bakery items, pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, and specialty drinks. Originally founded in 1987 as Paradise Bakery & Cafe, the company rebranded to Panera Bread in 2015. Today, Panera operates over 2,180 bakery-cafés under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Company brands in 48 states and Washington D.C., and in Ontario, Canada. Panera was acquired by JAB Holding Co. in 2017 for $7.5 billion, making it a private company. The company continues to be a leader in fast-casual dining, expanding its reach and technological innovations, such as AI-driven ordering and digital enhancements. Panera Bread is currently headquartered in Sunset Hills, Missouri. In 2023, the company's annual revenue was estimated to be around $6 billion, making it one of the largest fast-casual restaurant brands in the U.S.
JAB Holding Company, headquartered in Luxembourg, is a German conglomerate with investments in various industries, including consumer goods, luxury, coffee, and fast food. JAB owns brands such as Caribou Coffee, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Krispy Kreme, Peet's Coffee, and Pret A Manger, managing over $50 billion in capital.