Panera Bread

Infobox_Company
company_name = Panera Bread
company_
company_type = Public (nasdaq|PNRA)
company_slogan = "A loaf of bread in every arm"
foundation = 1987 in Kirkwood, Missouri
location = Richmond Heights, Missouri, United Statescite web |url=http://www.panerabread.com/about/press/kit |title=Panera Bread Press Kit |accessdate=2007-09-27 |publisher=Panera Bread]
key_people = Ken Rosenthal, founder
Ronald M. Shaich, founder, chairman, and CEO
Louis Kane, founder
industry = Restaurants
num_employees = 4,746 full time (December 2005)
revenue = )
products = Fast casual/Bakery-café, including several varieties of bread, such as bagels and muffins, cold sandwiches, hot panini, salads, soups, and pizzas
homepage = [http://www.panerabread.com/ www.panerabread.com]

Panera Bread (called St. Louis Bread Company in the St. Louis area) is a chain of bakery-café restaurants in the
United States and Canada which sell breads, sandwiches, soups, bakery items, and organic foods; some locations offer dinner pizzas. Panera is considered a "fast casual" restaurant.

Corporate history

In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co. purchased the Saint Louis Bread Company, which was founded by Ken Rosenthal. At the same time, the St. Louis Bread Company was renovating its 20 bakery-cafés in the St. Louis area.cite web |url=http://www.panerabread.com/about/company/history.php |title=Our History |accessdate=2008-01-30 |publisher=Panera Bread]

In May 1999, to expand Panera Bread into a national restaurant, Au Bon Pain Co. sold its other chains, including Au Bon Pain, which is now owned by Compass Group North America. [ [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_5_39/ai_n9523112 Au Bon Pain: bakery-cafe weighs in on diet fads, offers more healthful fare to concerned customers] "Nation's Restaurant News", January 31, 2005.] Au Bon Pain Co. then renamed itself Panera Bread. The company operates or franchises 1,160 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in 40 states and 17 manufacturing plants to support the bakery-cafés. Panera Bread's CEO is Ron Shaich.

In its headquarters city of St. Louis, Panera Bread still operates under the name St. Louis Bread Company. The St. Louis metropolitan area has over 50 locations.

In 2005, Panera ranked 37th on "BusinessWeek"'s list of "Hot Growth Companies", earning $38.6 million with a 42.9% increase in profits. [cite news | title=St. Louis Firms Make BusinessWeek's Hot Growth List| publisher=St. Louis Commerce Magazine|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5380/is_200509/ai_n21378621|date=2005-09-01] [cite news | title=Giving Fast Food A Run For Its Money| publisher=Businessweek|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_16/b3980084.htm|date=2006-04-17]

Panera Bread plans to expand into Canada, beginning with Toronto in 2008. [cite news |first=Carylyn |last=Walkup |title=Panera Bread to launch dinner menu, push toward 1,000 units |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_25_40/ai_n16497944 |work=Nation's Restaurant News |date=2006-06-19 |accessdate=2008-03-03 ] [cite news |first=Lisa R |last=Brown |title=Panera Bread headquarters in play |url=http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/10/29/story1.html |work=St. Louis Business Journal |date=2007-10-26 |accessdate=2008-03-03 ]

Menu

The restaurant sells several types of bread, including loaves, bagels, scones, and rolls. Sweeter bakery items such as muffins, cookies, croissants, Danish and other pastries are also offered. Souffles are also sold during morning hours. Drinks include Republic of Tea hot teas, iced tea, self service coffee urns (one each of hazelnut, Featured Blend, Cafe Blend and decaf), several espresso-based beverages, self-service fountain soda, and bottled Jones Sodas. Panera had an exclusive distribution deal to sell an early version of Jones' then-new chocolate-flavored soda.Fact|date=May 2008

Panera also sells cold sandwiches, hot panini-pressed sandwiches, and salads. The restaurant sells four to six kinds of soups – including French onion, broccoli cheddar, chicken noodle – and two seasonal soups, including at least one vegetarian selection. The soups are made by an outside supplier, but are formulated by and exclusive to Panera. All of Panera's sauces, dressings, and spreads are also formulated by and are exclusive to Panera Bread. They have a house brand of organic potato chips, which replaced the Krunchers! chips that were formerly served.

Some Panera restaurants serve "Crispani" Pizza, an oval-shaped thin-crust gourmet pizza, after 4:00 p.m. However, many locations have discontinued the product.Fact|date=May 2008

Parts of the menu are rotated, with seasonal items brought in five times a year (called a "Celebration").

Fresh dough is delivered daily. Each night, a baker creates all pastries, breads, and bagels for the next day. At the end of each business day, the leftover product is donated to local community groups.

Internet access

Most locations offer free wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) access to customers. Panera operates the largest free wireless network in the United States. [cite news |first=Anthony |last=Zumpano |title=Panera Bread: flour power |url=http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=307 |work=features |publisher=brandchannel |date=2006-10-23 |accessdate=2007-11-26 ] [cite news |first=Terrence |last=Nowlin |title=Plugging into wireless: wireless Internet is making its way into more parks nationwide |url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-6072684/Plugging-into-wireless-wireless-Internet.html |work=Parks & Recreation |publisher=National Recreation and Park Association |date=2006-11-01 |accessdate=2007-11-26 ] This service includes SonicWALL Internet filtering, which queries a central database before blocking or allowing access by category; the filter has been known to incorrectly categorize sites. [cite web |url=http://www.computers-onsale.com/sonicwall_64022.htm |title=SonicWall at Computers OnSale |accessdate=2007-10-25 |publisher=Computers OnSale ]

ee also

*Hotspot
*The Third Place

References

External links

* [http://www.panerabread.com Official website]
* [http://www.panerabread.com/about/company/history.php Panera Bread corporate history]