Panera Bread

Operations

Panera Bread to close all remaining fresh dough facilities over the next two years

The move completes a two-year process for the fast-casual chain, which is shifting bread production to third-party bakers. Hundreds of workers will be laid off as the chain shutters nine remaining bakery centers supplying cafes across the U.S.

Food

Panera turns croissant dough into sandwich bread for new menu item

Croissant Toast Sandwiches are the latest addition to the fast casual’s Spring menu refresh, reinforcing the brand’s new campaign, “It Just Meals Good."

The fast casual's first national marketing effort since its menu overhaul last year puts the spotlight on the everyday moods and occasions that drive customer visits.

Sales slipped in 2024 for Panera Bread. After officially taking the helm of the fast-casual bakery cafe chain last week, CEO Paul Carbone's first step is to cut back on remote work.

The former CFO has been serving as interim since January for the group, which includes Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.

Central bakeries for the fast-casual chain are scheduled to close in Lenexa, Kansas, and Greensboro, North Carolina, in May in an ongoing shift to par-baked, frozen bread. About 140 layoffs are expected.

The move follows the closure of five fresh dough facilities last year, as the fast-casual chain shifts to an on-demand baking process, using third-party bakeries.

It has been a rocky couple years of change for the iconic fast-casual brand. With the search for a new CEO underway, here's what that new leader will be taking on.

The fast-casual chain has brought in a former culinary executive from Papa Johns and a marketer from Subway.

The Bottom Line: JAB Holdings gobbled up several mostly breakfast and coffee chains from 2012 through 2017. A few of its acquisitions have performed well, but others have stagnated, including the biggest.

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