Editing Panera Bread (section)

==History==

Ken and Linda Rosenthal founded the St. Louis Bread Company in 1987 with the first location in [[Kirkwood, Missouri]]. The Rosenthals invested $150,000 and received a $150,000 [[Small Business Administration]] loan.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2010/01/04/story2.html | title=Panera's Rosenthal cashes in | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=January 3, 2010}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

Au Bon Pain Co., a [[public company]], purchased the St. Louis Bread Company in 1993 for $23&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.ronshaich.com/pdf/70ce7ad796.pdf | title=Panera's Ron Shaich Really Rolls In The Dough | first=BRIAN | last=DEAGON | work=[[Investor's Business Daily]] | date=January 25, 2010 | access-date=October 29, 2018 | archive-date=May 8, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508135503/http://www.ronshaich.com/pdf/70ce7ad796.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/12/business/company-news-au-bon-pain-to-acquire-saint-louis-bread-company.html | title=Au Bon Pain to Acquire Saint Louis Bread Company | agency=[[Associated Press]] | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=November 12, 1993}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref name=gamble/>

In 1997, Au Bon Pain changed the company name to Panera, from a word that has roots in the Latin word for "[[breadbasket]]" ([[Classical Latin|Classical]] {{lang|la|pānārium}}, [[Vulgar Latin|Vulgar]] {{lang|la|pānāria}}) and is identical to the word for "breadbasket" in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Catalan language|Catalan]]. It kept its original name for locations in Missouri.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/1998/01/19/daily5.html |title=Saint Louis Bread Co. baking up big growth in '98 |date=January 20, 1998 |work=St. Louis Business Journal |access-date=March 5, 2023 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=gamble>{{cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/07/17/smallbusiness/panera-ron-shaich.fortune/index.htm | title=A founder's bold gamble on Panera | first=Beth | last=Kowitt | work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] | date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> At the same time, the St. Louis Bread Company renovated its 20 bakery-cafés in the St. Louis area.<ref name=About>{{cite web | url=https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/company/about-panera/our-history.html | title=Our History | website=Panera Bread | access-date=October 29, 2018 | archive-date=September 26, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926194318/https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/company/about-panera/our-history.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=gamble/>

In May 1999, Au Bon Pain Co. sold Au Bon Pain to the firm [[Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co.]] for $78&nbsp;million to focus on the Panera Bread chain.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2000/12/04/story1.html | title=Au Bon Pain acquisition may be near | first=Donna L. | last=Goodison | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=December 4, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thestreet.com/story/14383255/1/panera-bread-au-bon-pain-to-reunite.html | title=Panera Bread, Au Bon Pain to Reunite for First Time Since 1998 | first=Laura | last=Berman | work=[[TheStreet.com]] | date=November 11, 2017 }}</ref>

In 2000, Panera Bread moved its headquarters to [[Richmond Heights, Missouri]].<ref>{{cite news | title=Panera Bread finalizing headquarters search | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2010/01/25/story11.html | first=Lisa R. | last=Brown | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=January 24, 2010}}</ref>

In 2007, Panera Bread purchased a 51% stake in [[Paradise Bakery & Café]], a [[Phoenix metropolitan area]]-based concept with over 70 locations in 10 states, predominantly in the west and southwest, for $21.1&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2006/11/13/daily4.html
 | title=Panera to buy majority interest in Southwest regional chain | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=November 13, 2006}}</ref> The company purchased the balance of Paradise in June 2009.<ref name=About/>

=== Expansion into Canada ===
In October 2008, Panera Bread expanded into [[Canada]], opening locations in [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Thornhill, Ontario|Thornhill]], [[Oakville, Ontario|Oakville]], and [[Mississauga, Ontario|Mississauga]] in the [[Greater Toronto Area]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Lisa R. |date=October 26, 2007 |title=Panera Bread headquarters in play |work=[[American City Business Journals]] |url=http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/10/29/story1.html}}</ref>

A [[class action lawsuit]] was filed against the company in February 2008, alleging it failed to disclose material adverse facts about the company's financial well-being, business relationships, and prospects.<ref>{{cite news | title=Panera faces class-action lawsuit | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/02/25/daily21.html | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=February 27, 2008}}</ref> In February 2011, Panera agreed to pay $5.75&nbsp;million to shareholders while admitting no wrongdoing, settling the lawsuit.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/article_27b1dbae-3ee0-11e0-bd36-00127992bc8b.html/ | title=Panera to pay $5.75 million to settle lawsuit |first=Lisa R. | last=Brown | work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] | date=February 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Fenske | first=Sarah | title=Panera Bread Settles Class Action Suit Alleging Stock Fraud | url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/foodblog/2011/02/24/panera-bread-settles-class-action-suit-alleging-stock-fraud | work=[[River Front Times]] | date=February 24, 2011}}</ref>

In November 2010, Panera Bread relocated its headquarters to Sunset Hills while vacating its Richmond Heights headquarters and [[Brentwood, Missouri]] offices.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2010/11/19/panera-to-open-new-headquarters.html | title=Panera opens new headquarters in Sunset Hills | first=Kelsey | last=Volkmann | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=November 19, 2010}}</ref> The company leased additional space for its headquarters in 2013.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog/2013/05/panera-expands-hq-in-sunset-hills.html | title=Panera expands HQ in Sunset Hills | first=E.B. | last=Solomont | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=May 21, 2013}}</ref>

=== Ordering  and delivery ===
In May 2014, Panera unveiled "Panera 2.0", a series of integrated technologies including new capabilities for digital ordering, payment, operations, and consumption. It includes tablet kiosks with [[iPad]]s, which the company calls ''Fast Lane'', where customers may place an order and pay without approaching the counter.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.qsrmagazine.com/ordering/kiosks-keep-their-cool | title=Kiosks Keep Their Cool: Even in a smartphone era, touch-screen kiosks give brands a fun, efficient ordering innovation | first=Bruce | last=Horovitz | work=QSR Magazine |date=April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.fastcasual.com/articles/paneras-self-service-kiosks-provide-key-to-growth/ | title=Is Panera 2.0 starting to pay off? | first=Nicole | last=Troxell | work=Fast Casual | date=February 6, 2015}}</ref> Customers can also place orders and pay via an app on their smartphone or tablet.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-05-02/more-kiosks-fewer-cashiers-coming-soon-to-panera | title=More Kiosks, Fewer Cashiers Coming Soon to Panera | first=Venessa | last=Wong | work=[[Bloomberg L.P.]] | date=May 2, 2014}}</ref> In 2017, digital orders accounted for over $1 billion in orders or 26% of sales.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/digital-orders-now-account-for-percent-of-panera-sales-company/article_20e8ecd5-3371-5dc3-903d-1fc4c0cac164.html | title=Digital orders now account for 26 percent of Panera sales, company says | work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] | date=June 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/panera-reaches-1-billion-in-digital-orders-2017-6 | title=Panera avoided Starbucks' biggest mistake and reached a $1 billion milestone | first=Kate | last=Taylor | work=[[Business Insider]] | date=June 14, 2017}}</ref>

The company introduced delivery services in May 2018, servicing 897 cities in 43 states and employing its own drivers.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/panera-delivery-goes-national-2018-5 | title=Panera almost killed its delivery test 4 years ago — now it's dominating the industry and rolling out across the US | first=Kate | last=Taylor | work=[[Business Insider]] | date=May 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/panera-why-it-isnt-using-a-delivery-partner-1525797444 | title=Panera: Why It Isn't Using a Delivery Partner | first=David | last=Marino-Nachison | work=[[Barron's (newspaper)|Barron's]] | date=May 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/08/panera-launches-nationwide-food-delivery-service/ | title=Panera launches nationwide food delivery service | first=Sarah | last=Perez | work=[[TechCrunch]] | date=May 8, 2018}}</ref> According to the company, this created 13,000 jobs.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mikus |first1=Kim |title=Panera Bread launches delivery in some suburbs |url=https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20180508/panera-bread-launches-delivery-in-some-suburbs |work=Daily Herald|access-date=August 17, 2018 |date=May 8, 2018}}</ref>

=== Rebranding, acquisitions, and use of technology ===
====2010s====
Paradise Bakery & Café locations were rebranded in September 2015 as Panera Bread.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/prime_cuts/2015/09/more-paradise-bakeryrestaurants-changing-over-to.html | title=More Paradise Bakery restaurants changing over to Panera Bread Co. | first=Mike | last=Sunnucks | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=September 14, 2015}}</ref>

In the fourth quarter of 2015, Panera acquired a majority stake in [[Tatte Bakery & Cafe]], a bakery-cafe concept chain with locations in the [[Greater Boston|Boston area]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tattebakery.com/locations/ |title=Locations |access-date=August 26, 2020 |website=Tatte Bakery & Cafe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006200240/https://tattebakery.com/locations/ |archive-date=October 6, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://boston.eater.com/2016/2/10/10958418/panera-bread-tatte-bakery-acquisition|title=Panera Bread Has Acquired a Majority Stake in Tatte Bakery [UPDATED]|last=Hatic|first=Dana|date=February 10, 2016|website=Eater Boston|language=en|access-date=February 29, 2020}}</ref> later opening in metro [[Washington D.C.]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tattebakery.com/washington-dc/ |title=Metro DC |website=Tatte Bakery & Cafe |access-date=October 19, 2021 }}</ref>

On March 23, 2016, Panera opened its 2,000th location, a cafe in [[Elyria, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2016/03/panera_breads_2000th_store_is.html | title=Panera Bread's 2,000th store opening in Elyria (photo) | first=Emily | last=Bamforth | work=[[The Plain Dealer]] | date=March 22, 2016}}</ref>

In January 2017, Panera announced its food menu was free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and [[preservative]]s.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://fortune.com/2017/01/13/panera-menu-completely-clean/ | title=Panera Says Its Food Menu Is Now 100% 'Clean Eating' | first=John | last=Kell | work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] | date=January 13, 2017}}</ref><ref name=wsj-shaich/>

JAB Holding Company acquired the company on July 11, 2017, for $7.5&nbsp;billion.<ref name=wsj-shaich/>

On November 8, 2017, Panera announced that founder [[Ron Shaich]] was stepping down as CEO, and company president Blaine Hurst would take over. Shaich remained chairman.<ref>{{cite news | last=Whitten | first=Sarah | title=Panera's Ron Shaich is stepping down as CEO, but first he's repurchasing Au Bon Pain | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/08/paneras-ron-shaich-to-step-down-as-ceo-purchase-au-bon-pain.html | work=[[CNBC]] | date=November 8, 2017}}</ref> The company also announced the acquisition of [[Au Bon Pain]].<ref name=acquire>{{cite press release | url=https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/11/08/1178047/0/en/Panera-Bread-Announces-Definitive-Agreement-to-Acquire-Au-Bon-Pain.html | title=Panera Bread Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Au Bon Pain | publisher=[[Globe Newswire]] | date=November 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=wsj-shaich>{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/panera-bread-founder-ron-shaich-to-step-down-as-ceo-1510173488 | first=Julie | last=Jargon | title=Panera Bread Founder Ron Shaich to Step Down as CEO | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=November 8, 2017 | url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/11/08/panera-will-buy-au-bon-pain-to-gain-bigger-slice.html | title=Panera will buy Au Bon Pain to gain bigger slice of bakery-cafe market | first=David L. | last=Harris | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=November 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/11/08/panera-bread-buying-au-bon-pain-deal-reunites-them/845067001/ | title=What's buzzing at Panera? It's buying Au Bon Pain and the CEO is resigning | first=Zlati | last=Meyer | work=[[USA Today]] | date=November 8, 2017}}</ref>

Panera divested Tatte Bakery & Café to Act III Holdings, LLC, owned by Shaich in January 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Pelletier |first1=Jenna |date=April 29, 2019|title=Life Alive gets a makeover in the next act by Panera's Ron Shaich – The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2019/04/29/the-story-behind-life-alive-makeover-ron-shaich-next-act/OcAd3hyQtrftyE827uJieJ/story.html|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=BostonGlobe.com}}</ref>

In January 2018, the company formed a consulting business to help restaurants remove artificial ingredients from their menus.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2018/01/29/panera-launching-clean-consulting-business.html | title=Panera launching 'clean' consulting business | first=Angela | last=Mueller | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=January 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/panera-launches-clean-consultant-for-restaurants-2018-1 | title=Panera wants to help other brands clean up their menus — and it shows how the sandwich chain is doubling down on a key strategy in a new era | first=Kate | last=Taylor | work=[[Business Insider]] | date=January 29, 2018}}</ref>

On April 2, 2018, [[Brian Krebs]] reported that the Panera Bread website had leaked between 7&nbsp;million and 37&nbsp;million customer records—including names, email, and physical addresses, customer loyalty account numbers, birthdays, and last four digits of the customers' credit card numbers—for at least eight months before the site was taken offline. Panera was notified privately about the vulnerability in August 2017 but failed to fix it until after it was disclosed publicly eight months later.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/04/panerabread-com-leaks-millions-of-customer-records/ | title=Panerabread.com Leaks Millions of Customer Records | website=krebsonsecurity.com|author=[[Brian Krebs|Krebs, Brian]] | date=April 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2018/04/03/panera-hit-by-data-breach-report.html | title=Panera hit by data breach: Report | first=Angela | last=Mueller | work=[[American City Business Journals]] | date=April 3, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panera-bread-cyber/panera-breads-website-leaks-customer-records-krebsonsecurity-idUSKCN1H91YV | title=Panera Bread's website leaks customer records: KrebsOnSecurity | first1=Nivedita | last1=Balu | first2=Arjun | last2=Panchadar | work=[[Reuters]] | date=April 2, 2018}}</ref> Panera said the leak affected fewer than 10,000 customers and had been fixed.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/panera-accused-security-researcher-of-scam-when-he-reported-a-major-flaw/ | title=Panera accused security researcher of "scam" when he reported a major flaw | first=JON | last=BRODKIN | work=[[Ars Technica]] | date=April 3, 2018}}</ref>

====2020s====
On October 28, 2020, Panera announced they would add pizza to their menu to increase dinner options for customers.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Alexis Benveniste|title=Panera adds pizza to its menu to double down on dinner|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/28/business/panera-introducing-pizza-trnd/index.html|access-date=October 28, 2020 |website=CNN|date=October 28, 2020 }}</ref>

Panera announced on August 25, 2021, that it had merged with [[Caribou Coffee]] and [[Einstein Bros. Bagels]] to form Panera Brands.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ruddy |first1=Edward |title=Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels Unite as Panera Brands, Creating a Best-in-Class, Market Leading Fast Casual Platform |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210805005536/en/Panera-Bread-Caribou-Coffee-and-Einstein-Bros.-Bagels-Unite-as-Panera-Brands-Creating-a-Best-in-Class-Market-Leading-Fast-Casual-Platform |access-date=9 November 2021 |work=www.businesswire.com |date=5 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2022, the company announced that it was testing the use of [[artificial intelligence]] in its drive-thru lanes via two locations in upstate New York. It used OpenCity's voice ordering technology, Tori. At the time of the announcement, roughly 45% of the chain's locations have drive-thru lanes. In making this move, the firm was joining other firms in the restaurant industry, like [[McDonald's]], [[Burger King]], and [[Taco Bell]], and it came on top of other uses of artificial intelligence at the chain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lucas |first=Amelia |title=Panera Bread tests artificial intelligence technology in drive-thru lanes |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/29/panera-bread-tests-artificial-intelligence-technology-in-drive-thru-lanes.html |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=CNBC |date=August 29, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In September 2022, Panera announced that legacy St. Louis Bread Co. locations outside [[St. Louis|St. Louis City]] and [[St. Louis County, Missouri|St. Louis County]] would be rebranded as Panera when remodeled, with locations in the inner core of the [[Greater St. Louis|metro]] retaining the Bread Co. name.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-07 |title=Bye bye, Bread Co. {{!}} St. Louis-based café chain announces Panera rebrand for some locations |url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/saint-louis-bread-company-bakery-cafe-chain-panera-bread-name-change/63-23239682-eb5f-4b52-954f-ea5b14c16ccd |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=ksdk.com |language=en-US}}</ref> One location in St. Louis County is named Panera as it is a prototype of the "Next Gen" restaurant design.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-11-18 |title=Why Panera isn't using 'St. Louis Bread Co.' to name new location |url=https://fox2now.com/news/why-panera-isnt-using-st-louis-bread-co-to-name-new-location/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |work=[[KTVI]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

In mid-2023, Panera moved its headquarters from Sunset Hills to [[Fenton, Missouri]], downsizing the square footage by more than half.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gloria |last=Lloyd |date=June 8, 2022 |url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/business-journal/panera-to-move-headquarters-sunset-hills-to-fenton/63-d4e09e3e-50d1-4f5c-9775-f0e5fdd236eb |title=Panera plans to move headquarters from Sunset Hills to Fenton |website=[[KSDK]] |access-date=April 16, 2025}}</ref> The move preceded two rounds of corporate layoffs in late 2023 and 2024.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joanna |last=Fantozzi |date=October 1, 2024 |url=https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/panera-bread-goes-through-a-second-round-of-corporate-layoffs |title=Panera Bread goes through a second round of corporate layoffs |website=[[Nation's Restaurant News]] |access-date=April 16, 2025}}</ref>

In December 2023, it was learned that Panera Bread confidentially filed to go public again. The company was last publicly traded in 2017 before being acquired by JAB Holding for $7.5&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/01/panera-bread-ipo-filing.html|title=Panera Bread files to go public again through IPO|first=Amelia Lucas, Gabrielle Fonrouge, Leslie|last=Picker|date=December 1, 2023|website=CNBC}}</ref> On February 14, 2025, Ken Rosenthal, the founder of St. Louis Bread Company, died at age 81 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/23/business/ken-rosenthal-dead.html |title=Ken Rosenthal, Founder of Panera Bread's Forerunner, Dies at 81 |date=February 23, 2025 |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Richard |last=Sandomir |access-date=February 24, 2025}}</ref>

In March 2025, the company named Paul Carbone its new CEO.<ref name="wsjcarbone">{{Cite news |title=Panera Bread Names Paul Carbone Permanent CEO |url=https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-nasdaq-sp500-03-25-2025/card/exclusive-panera-bread-names-paul-carbone-permanent-ceo-9NAf344L5FxyntTRbW2g |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=WSJ |language=en-US |first=Heather |last=Haddon |date=March 26, 2025}}</ref>