RISE - Menu Monitor

Panera Bread added three items to its fall menu. New offerings include the Orchard Harvest Salad, with fresh pears, dried
cherries, toasted pecans and Gorgonzola cheese, tossed with romaine lettuce in a cherry balsamic vinaigrette; Chipotle
Chicken Sandwich, all-natural pepper-mustard chicken, bacon, smoked Cheddar, tomatoes and an ancho-chipotle spread on
toasted French bread; and Pumpkin Spice Latte, made with espresso, steamed milk and pumpkin spice syrup, topped with
whipped cream and caramel syrup. (Company Website)
Franchise Activity |
Panera Bread Co. signed a franchise agreement calling for 12 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in northern Orange County, CA,
with Dennis and Shane Hitzeman, David Babbush and Tom McDonald. In addition, the new franchisees purchased the Panera
Bread outlet in Fullerton, CA. (NRN Daily NewsFax 6/13/07)
Panera Bread has announced an agreement with Delta Dough Inc. calling for 12 new units in the Memphis, TN, and northern
Mississippi area. Delta Dough owners Rick and Rosemary Postle also operate Blue Ridge Bread Inc., the franchisee of eight
Panera Bread stores in Virginia. (Restaurantnewsresource.com 11/01/07)
International Activities |
Panera Bread plans to expand its presence into Canada with a store opening in Toronto by the end of 2007. The chain has
also been looking into several other locations in Ontario. (Canada.com 5/8/07)
Personnel |
Amy Kuzdowicz, Controller
Ron Shaich, CEO
Paul Ray, V.P. of Purchasing
Mary Ann Graziadei, V.P. of Operations
Ed Zalle, V.P. of Marketing
Ken Sisk, V.P. Research & Development
Panera Bread Co. hired Amy Kuzdowicz as vice president and controller, effective April 3. Previously, Kuzdowicz served as
vice president for Reuters America Holdings LLC. (Bizjournals.com 3/26/07)
News & Other |
Panera Bread Co. reported for the third quarter ended September 26 net earnings decreased 6.8% to $10.9 million from $11.7
million for the same period last year. Revenues grew 38.0% to $205.0 million. Same-store sales rose 3.2%. (NRN Daily
NewsFax 10/27/06)
Panera Bread Co. has agreed to acquire 51% of Paradise Bakery & Café Inc. for $21.1 million. Panera will operate Paradise
under that name as a separate brand. The transaction is expected to close by year-end or early next year. (NRN Daily
NewsFax 11/15/06)
Panera Bread Co. is purchasing a majority stake in Paradise Bakery & Café. Panera will pay $21.1 million for 51% of the 44-
unit Scottsdale, AZ-based Paradise. The deal also allows Panera to purchase the remaining 49% of Paradise’s outstanding
stock in 2009. Paradise said that its company stores, menu and corporate structure would remain the same. (AZCentral.com
11/14/06; NRN Daily NewsFax 11/15/06)
A burrito is not considered a sandwich in Massachusetts. A state Superior Court judge has rejected a Panera Bread
franchisee’s attempt to stop a Qdoba Mexican Grill from opening in White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury, MA. The
franchisee claimed that in its lease at the shopping center did not allow for the tenancy of any bakery or restaurant that
generated 10% of its sales from sandwiches. The judge rejected the claim, saying that the lease did not include an “explicit
and broad definition of sandwiches,” and that burritos, tacos and quesadillas were not understood to be sandwiches. (NRN
Daily NewsFax 11/06/06)
Panera Bread Company reported November same-store sales increased 1.4%. (Company Release 12/6/06)
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