PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Executive Summary
The Panera Bread legacy began in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. Founded by Louis Kane and Ron Shaich, the company prospered along the east coast of the United States and internationally throughout the 1980s and 1990s and became the dominant operator within the bakery-cafe category. The Panera Bread Company is starting 2007 with unfinished goals and missed targets previously set and a review of their strategy is in order to continue their ongoing success. The company has grown substantially since its inception in the competitive restaurant industry; however, an aggressive target of 2,000 Panera Bread bakery-cafes will require a focused strategic plan. The company has a strong base with loyal customers who appreciate Paneras unique dining atmosphere with a focus on quality products at a reasonable price. Panera will need to continue its market research and focus on environmental issues, which are an important core value. The opportunity for growth in the competitive market is still available, as noted in the analysis section of the report, but the most risk lies with the competitions ability to adapt and change along with Panera to gain their own increases in market share. With this in mind, the recommendation is to continue the expansion process through the franchise offerings while maintaining the differentiation qualities Panera already possesses. The strategy must also acknowledge the potential for a market decline due to potential economic downturns and must act accordingly by keeping a close eye on stores which are profitable and stores which may be struggling. It is important to keep the brand image high to ensure a consistent quality and profitability for investor confidence. Panera has the potential to be the recognized leader in not just the specialty bread segment of the bakery-caf restaurants business but across multiple dimensions challenging Applebees as a national brand.

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

This is Panera Bread Company

Panera Bread is widely recognized for driving the nationwide trend for specialty breads. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Panera Bread scored the highest level of customer loyalty among quick-casual restaurants, according to research conducted by TNS Inter search. It ranked #2 among Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains (500 or more units) in the Sandelman & Associates 2011 Quick-Track Study. Additionally, Panera Bread was named Top Rated Facility and Best Salad (for chain restaurants with less than 5,000 outlets) by Zagat, the trusted restaurant review service, in its annual consumer-generated 2011 Fast-Food Survey. Panera Bread was also named to Business Weeks 2010 list of top 25 "Customer Service Champs," to FORTUNE magazine's 2010 list of 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, and has also won Awards and Recognition in nearly every market it resides. Recently, Panera Bread was also named Casual Dining Brand of the Year in the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend. Panera is now recognized as a leading player in the competitive restaurant industry and continues to ensure their cafes remain current with health and environmental concerns, while offering quality food following their commitment to Product, Environment and Quality Service (PEGS).

Year wise Company Profile

The Panera Bread legacy began in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. Founded by Louis Kane and Ron Shaich, the company prospered along the east coast of the United States and internationally throughout the 1980s and 1990s and became the dominant operator within the bakery-cafe category. In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. purchased Saint Louis Bread Company, a chain of 20 bakery-cafes located in the St. Louis area. The company then managed a comprehensive re-staging of Saint Louis Bread Co. Between 1993 and 1997 average unit volumes increased by 75%. Ultimately the concept's name was changed to Panera Bread.

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

By 1997, it was clear that Panera Bread had the potential to become one of the leading brands in the nation. In order for Panera Bread to reach its potential, it would require all of the company's financial and management resources.

In May 1999, all of Au Bon Pain Co., Inc.'s business units were sold, with the exception of Panera Bread, and the company was renamed Panera Bread. Since those transactions were completed, the company's stock has grown thirteen-fold and over $1 billion in shareholder value has been created. Panera Bread has been recognized as one of Business Week's"100 Hot Growth Companies." As reported by The Wall St. Journal's Shareholder Scorecard in 2006, Panera Bread was recognized as the top performer in the restaurant category for one-, five- and ten-year returns to shareholders.

In 2007, Panera Bread purchased a majority stake in Paradise Bakery & Caf, a Phoenix based concept with over 70 locations in 10 states (predominantly in the west and southwest). The Company purchased the balance of Paradise in June 2009.

In May 2010, Ron Shaich transitioned to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board and Bill Moreton, who had previously served as the companys Executive Vice President and Co-Chief Operating Officer, was named Chief Executive Officer and President and to the Board of Directors. In March 2012, to signify their partnership and shared commitment to Panera, the company announced that Ron Shaich and Bill Moreton would share the title of CEO. Shaich is Chairman of the Board and co-CEO and Moreton is President and co-CEO.

As of March 27, 2012, there are 1,562 bakery-cafes in 40 states and in Ontario Canada operating under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Caf names, delivering fresh, authentic artisan bread served in a warm environment by engaging associates.

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Problem Statement
Panera Bread Company is at a crossroads of how to meet its target expansion goal of 2,000 restaurants by the end of 2010, and become a nationally- recognized brand name in their segment. In addition, Panera needs to improve sustainable profitability in order to meet its 25% EPS annual growth target that it missed in 2006. Paneras current goals and strategies need to be evaluated and adjusted to its current reality to ensure its future success and growth in a highly competitive market.

Analysis and Evaluation

Panera Bread Companys strategic intent is to make great bread broadly available to consumers across the United States through company owned and franchised bakery cafs that offered attractive menus and high quality food at attractive prices in combination with superior dining ambiance and quick service to capitalize on customer loyalty. The long-term objective is to make Panera Bread a nationally recognized brand name and to be the dominant restaurant operator in the specialty bakery-caf segment.

Industry Analysis
Panera Bread Company operates in the very competitive restaurant industry. Panera is known as a casual fast food restaurant, which means that they are a fast food provider but produce a higher quality product and offers a unique dining environment. The fast food restaurant industry is extremely competitive. Panera Bread competes against all the large fast food companies such as McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendys as well as cafes such as Starbucks and New World Restaurant Group Inc. Panera Bread Company is one of the younger companies in the industry, which means that room for growth is still abundant. McDonalds has now moved into global markets and is focusing much of its marketing in those markets. Panera Bread differentiates itself from the normal fast food chain by offering a bakery and deli style sandwiches. Panera has found a distinctive niche in the restaurant industry enabling it to market to a growing costumer pool that wants better quality food

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Environmental Analysis
With more dual-income families, consumers seek convenient dining solutions. Morehealth information is available, making the average consumer more healthconscious. Chill out( the time between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner when customers visited its bakery-cafes to take a break from their daily activities), during the time most of the people visits bakery to stay away from the daily routine stress and tension and be relaxed looks for better ambience, on which Panera concentrates more and attracts customers

Macro-Environment Analysis
General economic condition Management believed that its concept afforded growth potential in suburban markets sufficient to expand the number of Panera bread locations by 17% annually through 2012 and to achieve earning per share growth of 25% annually. Population demographics Paneras target market was urban workers and suburban dwellers looking for a quick-service meal and a more aesthetically pleasing dining experience than that offered by traditional fast food restaurants. Lifestyle and social values Even though the average U.S consumer ate 76% of meals at home, on a typical day, about 130 million U.S. consumers were food service patrons at an eating establishment-sale at commercial eating places averaged close to $1 billion daily. Technology Panera breads signature product was artisan bread made form four ingredients water, natural yeast, flour, and salt; no preservatives or chemicals were used. Carefully trained bakers shaped every step of the process, from mixing the ingredients, to kneading to dough, to placing the loaves on hot stone slabs to bake in a traditional European-style stone deck bakery oven.

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Panera Breads Strategy

Panera Breads strategy is to provide a premium specialty bakery and caf experience to urban workers and suburban dwellers. This strategy is most closely aligned with abroad differentiation strategy, or being unique in ways that a broad range of consumers find appealing. Prior to taking the Panera concept nationwide, the owners performed cross-country market research and concluded that consumers could get excited about a quick, high quality dining experience. The concept is a mix between fast food and casual dining, or fast casual. By choosing this strategy, Panera is attempting to achieve competitive advantage in the unique offerings it provides, offerings that rivals dont have and cant afford to match. In this case, delicious handcrafted bread arriving fresh daily, served in an inviting atmosphere is the companys competitive advantage and core competency Capitalize on market potential by opening both company-owned and franchised Panera Bread locations as quickly as possible. Management planned to expand the number of Panera Bread locations by 17% annually through 2010 and to achieve EPS growth of 25% annually. The addition of the franchising option to the strategy has proven to be key in acquiring desired market penetration. Offer a more nutritious fast food dining option. Panera Breads signature product is fresh-baked artisan bread made with limited ingredients and no preservatives or chemicals. The rest of the Panera menu offerings are built upon this bakery expertise. The menu groups were fresh baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches and salads, soups, light entrees, and caf beverages. Compete successfully in five submarkets of the food-away-from-home industry. Panera Bread utilizes its distinctive menu, signature caf design, inviting ambience, operating systems, and unit location strategy to compete successfully. The submarkets that Panera competes in are: breakfast, lunch, day time chill out, light evening fare for take-out or dine-in, and take-home bread. Paneras goal was to increase dining at multiple meal times: breakfast, lunch, daytime chill out, and dinner. Enhance menu in order to become a nationally recognized brand name and to be the dominant restaurant operator in the specialty bakery-caf segment. The menu enhancements focused on attracting customers during the evening meal hours and

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

customer interests. Panera added light entrees such as a crispani in order to bolster appeal to evening diners.

Product Differentiation
Panera Bread uses a market niche strategy based on differentiation; backward vertical integration. Panera internally produces fresh dough for company-owned and franchised bakery-cafes. This competitive strategy focuses on a small group and caters to the wants and desires of that particular group of customers Panera Breads marketing strategy wants these customers to feel as if they are getting something better and more wholesome for the same price as they would from the companys competitors.

SWOT Analysis Strengths

Panera Bread is widely recognized as the nationwide leader in the specialty bread segment Panera Bread is the nationwide leader in the bakery-caf segment Panera Bread has high ratings in customer satisfaction studies A good brand name that management is continuing to strengthen
The company has a high level of customer loyalty and customer satisfaction

High Customer loyalty Menu options Signature Caf designs Inviting ambience Operating systems Unit location strategy

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

In 2005, the company was rated among the best of 121 competitors in the Sandlemen & Associates national customer satisfaction survey and has also won best of awards in nearly every market across 36 states in 2005

Uses ingredients that are free of preservatives or chemicals The bakers are well trained Wide menu selections to provide target customers with products built on the companys bakery expertise Menu offerings are reviewed and revised regularly to ensure customer preferences are met The companys fresh-dough-making capability provides a competitive advantage Strong management and marketing team leading the companys expansion by opening more locations annually

Distinctive Menu Seasonal menu changes Demographical menu changes Organic menu choices

Extensive demographic study for new site locations Free Wi-Fi access for customers Competitive advantage from centralized dough making operations

Weaknesses
Some ingredients used at the fresh dough facilities were sourced from a single supplier which may cause supply problems in the future if the relationship with the supplier sours or is terminated Alcohol beverages are not part of the companys menu selection and could be a competitive disadvantage

Low public awareness Stringent franchising guidelines for new entrepreneurs Lack of foreign development

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Market competition with specialty foods has a low market niche Lack of traditional dinner menu

Opportunities
Consumers are prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial and would return if they experience good service Growth expansion through company-owned cafes and franchising is promising Expansion of Paneras catering business may be a way of boosting revenues

Lower stringent franchising guidelines for new entrepreneurs Develop presence in foreign markets Develop a better dinner menu

Threats
The nature of the restaurant industry is fiercely competitive The restaurant business is labor-intensive, capital intensive and risky The life span for some restaurants can be very short depending on fads

Lagging economy McDonalds o Competition from the fast food industry leader Subway o Offers fresh sandwiches for less Starbucks o Direct threat to Panera Warmth COSI, a copy cat company

PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Five Forces Analysis

Rivalry among Competing Fast-Casual Restaurant A Strong Competitive Force

The restaurant industry is a very competitive industry. On a typical day US consumers spend a total of $1 billion at eating establishments (Thompson). There are constantly new entrants to worry about as well as companies struggling to make a profit. Panera competes on many levels including fast casual dining and specialty foods (Panera). Paneras main competitors include McDonalds, Starbucks Coffee and Subway. However there are hundreds of restaurants that compete with Panera on a national, regional, and local level that has a negative impact on the companys revenue and market share (Panera). To stay profitable in the highly competitive restaurant industry, Panera regularly reviews and revises their menu to sustain the interest of regular customers, satisfy changing customer preferences, and be responsive to various seasons of the year (Thompson). Panera develops an advantage in changing their menu over competitors such as McDonalds and Subway who do not change their menu frequently and customers often lose interest in their menu offerings.

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Starbucks Coffee however, does offer seasonal coffee beverages and a la carte food items to stay competitive for similar reasons as Panera. Starbucks and Panera have similar in-store atmospheres that make them rivals. Both companies offer an atmosphere that invites patrons to stay for awhile with comfortable chairs, calming music and Wi-Fi. In order to gain a competitive advantage over Starbucks in terms of the atmosphere, Panera introduced meeting rooms at many of its locations to attract large groups of patrons. Panera, in 2004, introduced its catering service Via Panera to further expand the business and gain an advantage over rivals (Thompson).
Competitors consistently introduce new products to their menu selections based on changing consumer preferences. Industry members pursue differentiation strategies to set themselves apart from rivals via pricing, food quality, menu theme, signature menu selections, dining ambience and atmosphere, service, convenience, and location. Switching costs for consumers from one restaurant to another are low; customer satisfaction and consumer loyalty tends to be important in the restaurant industry. Threat of Entry- A Strong Competitive Force

The threat of new entrants is high because barriers to entry are low and the pool of entry candidates is large (Thompson). People are always looking for a new and different place to eat and because of this demand new restaurants open daily. In addition many restaurants do not stay in business for very long due to bad menus, dining experience, food quality and service (Thompson). Barriers to entry are low because there are little regulations from the government, there are usually no patent or legal protection needed, and there are little technological drawbacks that other industries experience (Hudson). If a person raised enough capital they could easily open up their own restaurant without many restrictions. New eateries also have an advantage over established restaurants because consumers are more likely to give new restaurants a try (Thompson). Consumers are constantly looking for variety in their meals so this gives new restaurants an incentive to open as well as steady business in the beginning of their operations. Panera competes with these new entrants by constantly changing their menu to meet customers diet and seasonal wants.

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Many restaurants have fairly short lives due to many factors: lack of enthusiasm for the menu or dining experience, inconsistent food quality, poor service, bad location, and meal prices could discourage new entrants.

130 million U.S. consumers are food service patrons at an eating establishment on a typical day; market growth is promising and could encourage new entrants. Consumer loyalty to existing restaurants is low and consumers are prone to give newly opened eating establishments a trial; favorable reviews encourage return visits and/or frequent customers which would encourage new entrants.

Competition from Substitutes - Varies Depending on Consumer Preferences

In the restaurant and food industry, there are not any substantial substitutes to food because people have to eat food every day. Food is a basic need and nothing can substitute that. Since there are no major substitutes the threat is relatively low in this category. However, there are substitutes to Paneras atmosphere and their coffee selections. Panera has developed an atmosphere that encourages people to hold meetings or get work done at the restaurant. A substitute to this could be to have the meeting in the office or just work from home. Panera has to offer people a reason to come into their restaurant as an alternative to the workplace or their home. The company competes with this substitute by offering a professional calming environment to get their work done without any distractions that may hinder people from working. One of Paneras signature menu items is its coffee. Substitutes to coffee are caffeinated beverages and energy drinks. Instead of going into a Panera for a coffee, one could simply stop by the gas station and pick up an energy drink of caffeinated beverage. Panera has the advantage with this substitute because many people either prefer coffee or prefer energy drinks and stick to their preference so the risk of customers switching to a substitute is low.
Switching costs to substitutes are low. The primary consumers of fast-casual restaurants are those who are looking for quick-service dining with enticing menus, higher food quality and a more inviting dining environment than those of the fast food restaurant.

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

The Bargaining Power and Leverage of Suppliers A Weak Competitive Force

Paneras suppliers have a relatively low bargaining power because they implement a lot of controls to keep their bargaining power low. Panera controls the quality of their main product by making the bread themselves daily. Also, the company contracts with numerous suppliers to keep an individual suppliers bargaining power low. Panera has an advantage in terms of suppliers because the make their own bread in 17 fresh dough facilities and own 140 trucks to deliver the dough anywhere from 300 to 500 miles to stores (Thompson). This vertical integration has made Panera capable of controlling the quality of its signature product, their bread. The bread is delivered daily so if for any reason the bread cannot make it to the store sales and brand reputation can suffer. Panera has numerous suppliers for each ingredient so that it can obtain ingredients from other suppliers when necessary (Thompson). This lowers the risk of a supplier driving up the price for Panera because if one does, Panera could simply switch to another supplier. Panera also has contracts with suppliers and distributors to control the costs of their supplies.
Ingredients can be obtained from a variety of suppliers. Suppliers are not likely to integrate forward or backward as it is not economically viable.

The Bargaining Power and Leverage of Buyers A Strong Competitive Force

Buyer bargaining power is relatively high for Panera. The restaurant must constantly be staying in tune to customer preferences or the customers will easily eat at another restaurant. The food industry is highly competitive and in addition there are low switching costs for consumers and consumers have access to quality and nutrition information. One item that makes the buyers bargaining power high is that there are relatively low switching costs to choose another restaurant over Panera. Consumers taste preferences change daily and eating at another restaurant other than Panera offers no additional costs other than the food prices. Panera recognizes this changing taste preference and offers a wide enough selection of menu items for customers to enjoy multiple times a week since the average American eats out four times a week (Nutrition).

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

Buyers also have a great amount of power because quality information of the restaurant industry is readily available. 83% of restaurant patrons like nutrition information on the food products (Nutrition). Many restaurants have seen this and are now posting nutrition information because customers are more likely to visit a restaurant that posts the information. Also, in many cities laws have been passed that requires restaurants to post inspection results in a visible spot. This now makes restaurants pay closer attention to the restaurant quality because they may lose business if they do not receive a good inspection.
Cost of switching restaurants is low. Many consumers are willing to try new eating establishments, they may switch if they were pleased with their dining experience.

Many competitors are offering similar menu selections

Recommendation
Panera has established itself has a strong competitor within its market segment. We feel Panera is prepared to proceed to the next level, which will propel its success even further. The plan we are proposing will have multiple steps and may have to be executed simultaneously. It will be focused on growth, which we feel is important to remain competitive and to increase market share which will inevitably lead to increased revenue. The following are the steps in order of execution: 1. The franchise segment is a very essential to the growth of the company. The stringent requirements Panera has put in place are not conducive to growth. Were not suggesting to completely compromise its requirements, but to ease the entry process to encourage more franchisee to invest in Panera. 1a. Part of our proposed marketing scheme will include franchise-focused marketing where Panera will solicit prospective franchisee in Low-penetration areas and new markets. This is contingent on Panera making the aforementioned changes and making this segment more appealing and economically feasible. 2. The proposed Marketing scheme will include the franchise segment, which was previously discussed, and concentration on disseminating the brand itself. Brand recognition must be established fast to run concurrently with growth plans (see step 2a).This will be accomplished by marketing the restaurant through local mediums on the

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

local level and Commercials, Radio, participation in Social Networking Services on a national level. The key word is aggressive.

2a. The franchise-focused efforts should yield a great response which should stimulate growth considerably in that segment. The company owned units should be prolife rated strategically across Low-penetration and new markets. Panera should designate a cadre of experienced managers to survey these regions for optimal placement of their units. The acceptance of these new cafbakeries will be dependent on the aforementioned proposed marketing scheme 3. Others There are no big or threatening problems/issues that needs fixing or correcting. No need to overhaul or do major surgery on the companys broad differentiation strategy. Some possible actions: Continue to exploit first-mover advantage secure prime retail locations in urban areas where Panera Bread has little or no market penetration. Attack the causes of eroding operating and net profit margins. Do a better job of controlling expenses. Continue to work hard on developing new menu items that will drive up traffic counts, particularly during the evening meal hours when traffic is somewhat light. Panera should advertise more readily on television especially in urban and suburban areas. The best way for Panera to advertise would be to offer an array of free samples to those who lived in these particular areas. These sample stations could also include a fact sheet which let the testers know how healthy the delicious food they were sampling actually was. Panera has a great rate of returning customers, so this would be away for Panera to reach out to potential new customers and induce trial. They could even hand out maps to all Panera locations that were near by the particular test-taste station. Currently, Panera Bread, like many restaurants, faces the competitive pressure from substitute products in convenience stores and grocery stores. By providing Panera products in appropriate distribution channels, Panera can generate additional revenues

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

while simultaneously prompting trial of products and possible search into the actual bakeries for the atmosphere. One way that Panera Bread could use their Dinner menu forward is to offer coupons and discounts to their daily customers who comes in for other meals. This might give them a higher possibility of returning for dinner later on that day or another day. They can offer online ordering for consumers who are on the go; this way they can have a high turnover rate when it comes to wait times at the locations. They can open more stores in certain areas, by doing so they can cater to the specific needs of certain communities and neighborhoods like how Starbucks currently does. They can expand their catering business by offering workplaces and schools catering discounts and coupons that can be given away that can be redeemed in-store by individuals. They also can open locations in highly populated areas that have fewer stores, by doing so their trucks will not have to travel far between different locations to deliver dough. With the new innovating, Panera has slowly moving to become a meal providing high variety bakery-cafe. I think that they need to go back to their strong competence of making bread, and try and incorporate that into every meal in a unique way. By promoting it in this way, they will not fall into the category of another high end cafe. They could eliminate their dough making strategy and bring the dough making into each store. This will allow for fewer waste products and also will eliminate high transporting costs. This will also show them in the light of being environmentally friendly due to that one initiative. Panera should Market itself from a company standpoint and not place so much emphasis on individual franchises marketing themselves. If the company uses that cost to effectively market themselves as a whole, they can be rest assured that customers who visit once might consider coming again based on research.

The plan for growth will be funded by a temporary increase in the contribution to the marketing fund, sell of stock, company appropriated funds, and financing.

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

The downward trend in profitability was another key issue, however not one that needed to bead dressed immediately. In the midst of the growth surge, it will have to take the back seat for the moment at least. We suggest that it be on the companys next agenda. We believe that the product of the growth plan, increased revenue, will alleviate the issue. But an analysis of the companys financial data and an action plan with focus on costs will jettison unnecessary weight and boost profitability

Conclusion
Concluding our paper and case study of Panera Bread, we would like to make a unofficial suggestion of action to take on Panera Bread stock. We hope that you, the reader, have found our information insightful and resourceful to learn more about the company of Panera Bread. Our goal was to provide information sound enough to get a good view at the financial health of the company and knowledge on where Panera Bread could go in the years to come. Our unofficial suggestion on Panera Bread is hold. With the current stock price at $142, Rob and Terry feel the stock is expensive. We feel that Panera Bread has much more room for growth and expansion, but it will not boom as it has in the past. If you own Panera Bread shares, hold and watch your shares steadily increase in value while you enjoy one of their delicious entres or bread bowl soups. As discussed above the Paneras SWOT it represents their strong strength and opportunities which reflects their means to achieve their objectives and at the same time it also shows their harmfulness (weakness &Threats) to achieve their objectives. Panera is doing very well in focusing its companys goals and has been fast in grabbing onto opportunities. However, the weaknesses and threats mention above might just be the Achilles heel for Panera. With the state of the current economic system, Panera, and other restaurants need to realize that they are providing luxuries that people will soon be unable to afford. Panera Bread is accompanying that started solely as a bread company that has become a large variety eating establishment. They may soon have to make even more changes to stay afloat. Panera Bread is not the leader in its industry but it is generating huge profits despite the economic difficulties that other restaurants and coffee shops are facing. The high quality of the freshly-crafted foods, the variety in Panera Breads menu, comfortable design and attractive

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PANERA BREAD COMPANY CASE STUDY ON PANERA BREAD COMPANY

amenities has gained Panera Bread a competitive advantage among its rivals. The companys innovative ideas result in a better product and attract new customers every day.

References
http://www.panerabread.com/ http://www.panerabread.com/about/ http://www.espiremarketing.org/panera-bread-company-case-study/ http://www.oppapers.com/subjects/panera-bread-company-case-study-page1.html http://dineshperspective.blogspot.com/2011/05/panera-bread-case-study-and-keysuccess.html http://www.scribd.com/doc/30761424/Panera-Case-Analysis http://eco27.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/panera-bread-case-study.pdf http://www.panerabread.com/about/company/history.php http://www.papercamp.com/essay/42412/Case-Analysis-Panera-Bread-Company http://www.scribd.com/doc/35105984/Panera-Bread-Company-Case-Analysis

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