# Panera Bread

> Panera Bread is one of the largest fast-casual restaurant chains in the United States, running roughly 2,200 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread and Saint Louis Bread Co. names. Built on freshly baked bread and a menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and mac and cheese, it helped define the 'fast casual' category - real food and comfortable rooms priced between fast food and full-service dining. Today it leans heavily on digital: a loyalty program with tens of millions of members, a beverage subscription called the Unlimited Sip Club, and catering. It is owned by JAB Holding Company and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.

- **Founded:** 1987
- **Headquarters:** St. Louis, Missouri, United States
- **Founders:** Ken Rosenthal (Co-founder, Saint Louis Bread Co.), Ronald Shaich (Co-founder / longtime CEO (Au Bon Pain, Panera Bread)), Louis Kane (Co-founder (Au Bon Pain))
- **Team size:** ~45,000 employees
- **Products:** Soups, Salads, Sandwiches and Mac & Cheese, You Pick Two, Fresh-baked breads and bakery, MyPanera loyalty program, Unlimited Sip Club
- **Notable:** Helped create and popularize the 'fast casual' restaurant category., Grew from a single Saint Louis Bread Co. cafe (1987) to roughly 2,200 bakery-cafes., Built a loyalty program with tens of millions of members and pushed digital past 50% of sales.

## Products & services

- **Soups, Salads, Sandwiches and Mac & Cheese** — Core menu of freshly prepared soups (often served in a bread bowl), signature salads, sandwiches and Bacon Mac & Cheese, refocused in the 2024 menu transformation.
- **You Pick Two** — Signature build-your-own combo letting guests pair any two half-portions of soup, half sandwich or half salad, many combinations under $10.
- **Fresh-baked breads and bakery** — Sourdough, baguettes, bagels and pastries baked in-cafe daily; the bread bowl is a brand signature.
- **MyPanera loyalty program** — Free loyalty program with tens of millions of members offering personalized rewards; a large share of transactions flow through it.
- **Unlimited Sip Club** — Monthly beverage subscription (about $14.99/mo) giving members unlimited drip coffee, tea, lemonade, fountain sodas and select cold drinks.
- **Digital ordering, kiosks and Rapid Pick-Up** — App and web ordering, in-cafe kiosks, curbside and delivery; digital accounts for more than half of sales.
- **Catering** — Group and business catering of sandwiches, salads, soups and breakfast, with dedicated logistics and delivery.

## Achievements

- Helped create and popularize the 'fast casual' restaurant category.
- Grew from a single Saint Louis Bread Co. cafe (1987) to roughly 2,200 bakery-cafes.
- Built a loyalty program with tens of millions of members and pushed digital past 50% of sales.
- Was an early mover on menu transparency, publishing calorie counts and pledging to remove artificial preservatives, sweeteners, colors and flavors.
- Launched the Unlimited Sip Club (2022), an early and widely copied restaurant beverage subscription.

## Latest updates

- **2024-04** — Launched what it called the biggest menu transformation in brand history, refocusing on soups, salads, sandwiches and mac and cheese with new and enhanced items and lower price points.
- **2024-05** — Discontinued its highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade line as part of the menu overhaul, following lawsuits tied to the drink.
- **2024-07** — Mark Shambura (ex-Papa Johns, Chipotle, MOD Pizza) joined as Chief Marketing Officer.
- **2025-07** — Settled the remaining Charged Lemonade lawsuits, closing the legal chapter; leadership continued restructuring ahead of a potential IPO under Panera Brands CEO Jose Alberto Duenas.

## Links

- Website: https://panerabread.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/panera-bread
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/panerabread
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/panerabread
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panerabread/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/panerabread/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@panerabread

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/panera-bread
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-12