# John Maguire

> John Maguire is a Massachusetts restaurant executive whose career began with bakery science and moved through operating leadership at Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread, turnaround work at Friendly's, executive roles at Johnny Rockets, MOD Pizza and Maple Street Biscuit Company, and finally the chief executive post at Levain Bakery. During his three-and-a-half-year Levain tenure, the bakery grew from 11 to 19 locations; he is scheduled to leave the CEO role for a board seat on October 31, 2026.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Levain Bakery; scheduled to become a board director on October 31, 2026
- **Organizations:** Levain Bakery, Maple Street Biscuit Company, MOD Pizza, Johnny Rockets, Friendly's, Panera Bread, Au Bon Pain
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree in bakery science and management, Kansas State University, Advanced management studies, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Helped lead Panera Bread operations during a 19-year tenure that ended with the executive vice president and COO roles., Led Friendly's post-bankruptcy operating reset, including menu simplification, restaurant renovations, employee recertification and a return to core products., Held simultaneous chief executive responsibility for Friendly's and Johnny Rockets beginning in 2016.

## Career timeline

- **1990-1998** — Worked in management and commissary operations for Au Bon Pain and the bakery-cafe businesses that became Panera Bread.
- **1993-2012** — Spent 19 years at Panera Bread, advancing through bakery supply-chain and company operations roles to executive vice president and chief operating officer.
- **2012-2018** — Served as president and CEO of Friendly's, leading a back-to-basics turnaround after its bankruptcy.
- **2016-2018** — Also served as president and CEO of Johnny Rockets while it and Friendly's continued to operate independently.
- **2018** — Joined MOD Pizza as chief operating officer, with responsibility for operations and growth across more than 380 locations.
- **2022** — Became president of Maple Street Biscuit Company on May 16.
- **2023** — Joined Levain Bakery as CEO and remained connected to Maple Street Biscuit Company as a special advisor.
- **2026** — Levain announced that Lorna Sommerville and Taya Stenson would become co-CEOs and that Maguire would move to the board on October 31.

## Achievements

- Helped lead Panera Bread operations during a 19-year tenure that ended with the executive vice president and COO roles.
- Led Friendly's post-bankruptcy operating reset, including menu simplification, restaurant renovations, employee recertification and a return to core products.
- Held simultaneous chief executive responsibility for Friendly's and Johnny Rockets beginning in 2016.
- Led operations at MOD Pizza during a period when the chain had more than 380 locations.
- Led Levain Bakery as it grew from 11 to 19 locations over three and a half years.
- Helped broaden Levain's growth plan into catering, beverages, bread and pastries while maintaining a company-owned store model.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Levain Bakery announced Lorna Sommerville and Taya Stenson as incoming co-CEOs; Maguire is scheduled to move from CEO to the board on October 31, 2026.
- **2026-08** — Industry reporting said Levain had reached 19 bakeries, with additional openings planned in Florida, California, Tennessee and Texas, and e-commerce representing about 25% of sales.
- **2025-04** — Maguire discussed Levain's 17th location, plans for three more openings in 2025 and five in 2026, and opportunities in catering, beverages, breads and pastries.

## Links

- Website: https://levainbakery.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-maguire-98226237

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-maguire
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27