Based in Boston, Au Bon Pain is a fast-casual bakery cafe chain that operates 304 units worldwide.
Panera Bread, a subsidiary of the JAB Holding Co., has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Au Bon Pain Holding Co. Inc., parent company of Au Bon Pain. Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close during the fourth quarter, were not disclosed.
Based in Boston, Au Bon Pain is a fast-casual bakery cafe chain that operates 304 units worldwide. The chain operates in six key trade channels, including urban office buildings, hospitals, universities, transportation centers, malls and museums. Au Bon Pain’s signature items include sandwiches, bread, pastries, salads, soups and coffee.
The acquisition will reunite Au Bon Pain and Panera after the two brands parted ways in 1999. “With the acquisition we are announcing today, we are bringing Au Bon Pain and Panera together again,” Mr. Shaich said. “This acquisition offers the strategic opportunity for us to grow in several new real estate channels, including hospitals, universities, transportation centers and urban locations, among others.”
Panera Bread was acquired by JAB Holding in July for approximately $7.5 billion. Panera’s acquisition of Au Bon Pain will bring the brand into JAB’s growing global roster of bakery cafe chains that also includes Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Caribou Coffee, Einstein Noah, Bruegger’s Bagels, Espresso House and Peet’s Coffee and Tea.
