Panera Bread
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Panera Bread | |
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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: PNRA) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 in Richmond Heights, Missouri |
| Headquarters | Richmond Heights, MO, United States |
| Key people | Ronald M. Shaich, Founder, Chairman & CEO Louis Kane, Founder |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Products | Fast casual/Bakery-café, including several varieties of bread, such as bagels and muffins, cold sandwiches, hot panini, salads, and soups |
| Revenue |  $597.09 million USD (2005) |
| Employees | 4,746 full time (December 2005) |
| Slogan | A loaf of bread in every arm |
| Website | www.panerabread.com |
Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA), is a chain of bakery café restaurants in the United States, specializing in serving specialty breads, sandwiches, soups, and other bakery items. The name "Panera" is derived from the Latin words "panis" meaning "bread" and "era" meaning "time."
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[edit] Corporate history
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 1,000 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in 36 states and 17 manufacturing plants to support the bakery-cafés.
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." This "dual branding" can cause confusion and arguments over which is the chain's proper name.
[edit] 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 panini are also available, along with salads and soups. Parts of the menu are rotated, with seasonal items five times a year, and 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, along with French Onion, Broccoli Cheddar, and Chicken Noodle soups daily. Panera has begun to offer Crispani (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 (WiFi) access to customers. Panera operates the US's largest free wireless network.[2]
[edit] Manufacturing
The manufacturing department is run by Mike Powell, VP. There are 17 manufacturing plants that produce fresh dough daily 363 days a year.
[edit] Qdoba Controversy
The company was recently involved in a lawsuit in which the company attempted to invoke a clause in its contract with the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury, Massachussets to stop the opening of a Qdoba Mexican Grill. [citation needed] The clause provided that the company would be the only sandwich shop in the shopping center. The company argued that burritos and other tortilla-based foods were, in fact, sandwiches. Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke ruled against the company, concluding that "A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans."
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Au Bon Pain: bakery-cafe weighs in on diet fads, offers more healthful fare to concerned customers Nation's Restaurant News, January 31, 2005.
- ^ GoRemote Announces World's Largest Secure Wireless Access Network WirelessDevNet.com, February 7, 2005.
