Panera Bread, also known as Panera LLC, is a bakery-café chain that was founded in 1981 by Ken Rosenthal in Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Rosenthal originally named the company Au Bon Pain Co., Inc., which means "good bread" in French. The company's first bakery-café was located in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton, Missouri, and featured a variety of breads, pastries, and sandwiches.
In the late 1980s, Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. began expanding rapidly, opening new bakery-cafés across the United States. In 1993, the company changed its name to Panera Bread and started to focus on serving freshly baked bread, soups, salads, and sandwiches made with high-quality ingredients. By the late 1990s, Panera Bread had become a national chain with locations in more than 30 states.
Today, Panera Bread is one of the largest bakery-café chains in the United States, with more than 2,000 locations in 46 states and Canada. The company is known for its commitment to using natural and organic ingredients and for its charitable initiatives, including the Panera Bread Foundation, which works to alleviate hunger and promote healthy eating habits in communities across the country.
In addition to its bakery-cafés, Panera Bread also operates Panera at Home, a line of packaged foods sold in grocery stores, and Panera Catering, which offers catering services for events and meetings. The company has also embraced digital technology, with a popular app and website that allow customers to order food online and pick it up in-store or have it delivered.
In conclusion, Panera Bread was founded in 1981 in Kirkwood, Missouri, and has since grown into one of the largest bakery-café chains in the United States, with a focus on using high-quality, natural and organic ingredients and a commitment to charitable initiatives.