Panera Bread is an American chain of bakery-café fast casual restaurants with over 2,000 locations, all of which are in the United States and Canada.

[6] Panera offers a wide array of pastries and baked goods, such as bagels, brownies, cookies, croissants, muffins, and scones.

[19] In 2007, Panera Bread purchased a 51% stake in Paradise Bakery & Café, a Phoenix metropolitan area-based concept with over 70 locations in 10 states, predominantly in the west and southwest, for $21.1 million.

[16] In October 2008, Panera Bread expanded into Canada, opening locations in Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Oakville, and Mississauga in the Greater Toronto Area.

It includes tablet kiosks with iPads, which the company calls Fast Lane, where customers may place an order and pay without approaching the counter.

[9] On November 8, 2017, Panera announced that founder Ron Shaich was stepping down as CEO, and company president Blaine Hurst would take over.

[43][9][44][45] Panera divested Tatte Bakery & Café to Act III Holdings, LLC, owned by Shaich in January 2018.

[73] Panera Bread provides American consumers with dietary guidelines to help them change their eating patterns to help reduce carbon emissions.

[74] The Day-End Dough-Nation program provides unsold bread and baked goods to local area hunger relief agencies and charities.

[75] Panera also supports events held by nonprofit organizations serving those in need by donating a certificate or fresh bakery products.

[77][78] In 2011, a former employee filed a racial discrimination lawsuit alleging that he was fired after repeatedly having a Black man work the cash register instead of putting him in a less visible location, and assigning "pretty young girls" as the cashiers, as requested by supervisors.

[79] Panera said that it "does not discriminate based on national origin, race or sex" and that the plaintiff "was terminated because he had used all of his medical leave and was unable to return to work".

[82][83] Covelli Enterprises is the single largest franchisee of Panera Bread with nearly 300 stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Florida.

[88] In March 2019, Plaintiff Brianna Tabler in California filed a class action lawsuit, accusing Panera of false advertising and fraud.

[92] On September 10, 2022, 21-year-old Sarah Katz, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, purchased and consumed a "supercharged" lemonade drink from a Panera location in Philadelphia.

[93][94][95] Katz suffered from Long QT Type 1 Syndrome, a heart condition that can result in an irregular heartbeat in certain situations.

[96] In October 2023, Katz's parents sued Panera for the wrongful death of their daughter caused by misleading labeling and description of the drink.

[96] Later in October, amid reports that dispensers had been moved behind the counter to limit access, Panera changed labeling for the drink, noting its caffeine content and need for moderation, and warning potentially sensitive consumers.

The individual, Dennis Brown, died at age 46 after reportedly consuming three servings of Charged Lemonade at a Panera location in Fleming Island, Florida.

[102] In February 2024, Panera settled a class-action lawsuit for $2 million, which accused the company a year beforehand of misleading customers from 2020 to 2021 about its costs for delivery orders.

[103] In 2005, Panera ranked 37th on Bloomberg BusinessWeek's list of "Hot Growth Companies", earning $38.6 million with a 42.9 percent increase in profits.

[104][105] In a 2008 Health magazine study, Panera Bread was judged North America's healthiest fast casual restaurant.