RISE - Menu Monitor

Menu Positioning |
Au Bon Pain is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers sandwiches, paninis, wraps, create-your-own sandwiches,
bakery goods, soups, salads and coffees. Signature items include on-premise baked breads, bagels, muffins, croissants, rolls
and cookies. Lunch features soups and upscale made-to-order sandwiches. Popular sandwiches include chocolate cherry
marshmallow, chili Dijon grilled chicken and the baked mozzarella tomato sandwich. The breakfast menu features a sausage
breakfast sandwich. Beverages include espresso and cappuccino. Catering service is available. Menu prices range from
$1.89–$6.89. Checks average $5.
Expansion Plans |
Au Bon Pain will open a new unit in the Boston Children’s Museum in the winter of 2007. Its menu will include healthy choices
and a nutrition kiosk with a variety of games to help children make healthy meal choices. The company will also expand into
Kuwait and Thailand. (Bizjournals.com 11/15/06)
Au Bon Pain is looking to double its number of U.S. restaurants over the next five years. The chain is focusing its expansion
efforts on the New York and Chicago markets as well as suburban areas. Au Bon Pain wants to open 15 restaurants in the
New York market, where it already operates 35 locations. The chain will also roll out new menu items this year, including
sandwiches and pasta dishes. There are 255 Au Bon Pain locations in the U.S., South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. (Chicago
Tribune 2/09/07)
Au Bon Pain opened a catering facility in Washington D.C. in an attempt to grow its catering business. The facility will provide
baked goods for its smaller stores and catering services for events of up to 5,000 guests. The facility is expected to earn the
chain an increase in Washington-area sales of up to 25%. (NRN Daily NewsFax 10/5/07)
Menu Development |
Au Bon Pain launched two new baked goods featuring hazelnuts, the Hazelnut Dream Brownie and Hazelnut Dream Cookie.
(Company Website)
Au Bon Pain added a Hazelnut Latte to its beverage lineup. (Company Website)
Au Bon Pain rolled out Mayan Chicken Harvest Rice Bowl to its menu. (Company Website)
Cobb salad variations are a popular way for restaurants to combine elements from world cuisines. Au Bon Pain outlets offer
diners Chopped Cobb Salad Wrap, with turkey tenderloins, romaine and mesclun greens, hard-cooked eggs, Gorgonzola
cheese and tomatoes with ranch dressing in a wrap. Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Newport Beach, CA, menus a Lobster
Cobb Salad, with Maine lobster tail, asparagus, fresh hearts of palm, tear drop tomatoes and creamy tarragon dressing.
Sodexho Corporate Services prepares a Fiesta Mexican Salad, featuring pico de gallo, diced jicama, red bell peppers, creamy
avocado and black beans paired with a chipotle-lime ranch dressing. At the Windows on the Bay at the Sheraton Gateway
Hotel in San Francisco, guests can dine on Thai Cobb Salad, featuring shiitake mushrooms, daikon sprouts, mung bean
sprouts, cilantro, chopped romaine, grilled chicken and avocado with a house vinaigrette made with sambal chile paste, miso
paste and fish sauce. (Restaurants & Institutions p49 2/07)
Au Bon Pain added three new sandwiches to its menu. The Curry Chicken Sandwich features Thai red curry chicken salad
with apple and grapes, served on a croissant with a slice of tomato and romaine lettuce; Smoked Turkey, Emmental Swiss &
Jalapeño Guacamole, with smoked turkey topped with Emmental Swiss cheese and jalapeño guacamole, snow peas and
tomatoes served on a baguette; and Portobello & Goat Cheese, roasted portobello mushrooms topped with goat cheese,
tomato and mixed greens with artichoke aïoli served on sundried tomato bread. (Company Website)
Au Bon Pain debuted a Wild Berry Smoothie made with lowfat yogurt and assorted berries. The quick-service chain also offers
Strawberry and Peaches & Cream smoothies. (Company Website)
Au Bon Pain rolled out three Harvest Rice Bowls, in Steak Teriyaki, Mayan Chicken and Cajun Shrimp flavors. The bowls are
filled with steamed rice and topped with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and mixed greens. (Company Website)
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