Fast Casual magazine selects Panera Bread as its brand of the year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fast Casual magazine announced Panera Bread has been selected No. 1 for the magazine's annual Top 100 Movers & Shakers' list.

 

Panera was a clear winner among the magazine's panelists, said Fred Minnick, editor of Fast Casual.

 

"Panera, which recently opened its 1,000th bakery café, has become an icon for today's consumers who are looking for quality food in a comfortable environment," Minnick said. "The brand continues to report solid financial numbers while maintaining product quality. It is definitely the envy of the restaurant segment."

 

Minnick joined a group of restaurant experts to select this year's Top 100. The panel included Darren Tristano, vice president of Technomic Information Services; Brian Sill, president of Deterministics; Stuart Morris, president of QSR Consulting Group; Steve Coomes, senior editor of Fast Casual; and Paul Barron, founder and publisher of Fast Casual.

 

Other finalists for the top seat in this year's Top 100 included Chipotle Mexican Grill, Qdoba, McAlister's and Starbucks. To find out where these brands and other Movers and Shakers landed on the list, click here for a free subscription. The full list will be released in December.