Panera Bread News & Media

Former Krispy Kreme president taking over CEO role at Panera

April 28, 2019

Panera Bread has hired Niren Chaudhary as president and CEO, succeeding Blaine Hurst, who is retiring from the role May 23. Hurst will remain on the board of…

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Missouri Panera franchisee adds 13 locations to porfolio

March 7, 2019

Hamra Enterprises, a Panera Bread franchisee based in Springfield, Missouri, has acquired 13 Panera Bread locations Memphis, Tennessee, with stores also…

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Panera, ex-CEO and founder battling in court over potential hires, noncompete issue

February 27, 2019

Panera and its founder and ex-CEO, Ron Shaich, are in a court battle over Shaich's hiring of three Panera tech leaders, who had resigned in order to take…

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Panera delivering breakfast via in-house drivers

November 16, 2018

Panera Bread has rolled out breakfast delivery to 231 cities and towns, including select cafes in the Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis and Minneapolis…

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CoreLife, Asian Box, Flatbread Grill talk sustaining sustainability, despite obstacles

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Three brands take on the challenges and rewards of one very hot restaurant topic: sustainable operations.

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Panera challenges industry to be more transparent about food ingredients

October 16, 2018

Panera Bread has launched a campaign to disclose the whole grain content of breads on its menu. On all breads that are made up of 50 percent whole grain…

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Report: Panera Bread customers have deep emotional connection with brand

July 31, 2018

Customers have a deep emotional connection with Panera Bread, according to data comparing the emotional connection rankings of 50 of the top brands in the…

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Panera Bread grabs ICX Influencer of the Year award

by Christopher Hall — w, t

The Interactive Customer Experience Association honored excellence in interactive customer experience at this year's Elevate Awards dinner party to recognize…

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JAB acquires Pret a Manger

May 29, 2018

JAB, the global investment firm that purchased Panera Bread in 2017, is adding the UK's Pret A Manger to its portfolio. Pret, which has a strong presence in…

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Panera rolls out nationwide delivery, creates 13K jobs

May 8, 2018

Panera Bread has expanded delivery across the United States with the service now available in 897 cities and 43 states. The service — which is entirely digital…

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Panera Bread a potential source of New Jersey E.coli outbreak

April 6, 2018

Panera Bread locations in New Jersey may be the source of an E.coli outbreak under investigation by the state health department and Warren County Health…

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Panera Bread recalls cream cheese after positive listeria result

January 30, 2018

Panera Bread has recalled all two- and eight-ounce cream cheese products sold in its U.S. locations after it found samples of one variety of two-ounce cream…

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2018 restaurant trend predictions from 10 fast casual CEOs

by Cherryh Butler — Content/Trends specialist, Barkley

Editor's note: This is part 1 in a series of stories featuring industry predictions from fast casual leaders around the world.

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Panera announces CEO stepping down, acquirement of Au Bon Pain

November 9, 2017

Panera CEO Ron Shaich will step down as CEO effective Jan. 1, 2018, allowing him to better allocate his time between Panera; initiatives for JAB, which…

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Chipotle scores 'A' on policy regarding animal antibiotic use

September 29, 2017

Chipotle Mexican Grill has earned an A grade in the Chain Reaction III Report and Scorecard, a ranking of the country's largest fast food and fast casual…

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Garbanzo to Panera: 'We'll see your kids meal challenge, raise you a charity'

September 22, 2017

In response to Panera Bread Co. Founder Ron Shaich's challenge to fellow restaurant CEOs to eat from their brands' children's menus for a week, Garbanzo…

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MOD Pizza taps former Panera, Starbucks exec as COO

July 21, 2017

MOD Pizza has hired Paul Twohig to be its first COO and oversee MOD's 235-plus locations in the U.S. and the U.K., according to a press release.

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Panera franchisee Pan American Group acquires 34 locations

July 12, 2017

Pan American Group, a subsidiary of Flynn Restaurant Group LP, is now the second-largest Panera franchisee after acquiring 34 locations in Missouri and Kansas…

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Panera stockholders confirm sale in special meeting

July 11, 2017

Panera stockholders sealed the deal regarding its acquisition by JAB Holdings in a special meeting today, according to a press release.

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