Panera Bread was founded by Louise Kane and Ron Shaich in 1981.  They founded Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. and that became Panera Bread in 1993 when the company was purchased by Saint Louis Bread Company, which was founded by Ken Rosenthal.  In 1999 Au Bon Pain Co. sold all the other chains they owned in order to expand Panera Bread.  They expanded to 40 states with 1,453 total locations in the United States.  They also have 17 facilities that deliver fresh dough to the bakeries every single day.  The headquarters is in Saint Louis and they were ranked 37th on  Business Week’s list of Hot Growth Companies in 2006.  Currently William Moreton is the CEO and they have expanded to Ontario, Canada as well.

Panera Bread is most well-known for the breads they use and they serve Panini’s and sandwiches with these breads.  They are also very well-known for the soups that they serve fresh every day as well.  They have a variety of drinks from coffee and tea drinks to soft drinks and they also offer soup in a bread bowl as well.  They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with a kids menu for the little ones.  They feature many combinations that include a small soup and a half sandwich for lunch and for dinner, also.

Panera Bread restaurant franchise opportunities are offered in many areas of the country.  They are looking for restaurant operators with multi-unit experience and a net worth of at least $7 million.  They also require that franchisees or groups have liquid assets of $3 million or more.  They do not offer a single-unit franchise opportunity and those that want to become a franchisee with Panera Bread must commit to a 15 unit expansion over 6 years.  They also require that franchisees have some real estate and development experience as well.