Who Owns Panera Bread?
JAB Holding Company, the European investment group that took Panera private for about 7.5 billion dollars in 2017 and later grouped it with Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
So you cannot buy Panera stock today. Until the planned listing happens, the chain has one main owner.
How Panera ended up with JAB
| Year | Owner or change |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Ken and Linda Rosenthal open St. Louis Bread Company in Kirkwood, Missouri |
| 1993 | Au Bon Pain Co., led by Ron Shaich, buys St. Louis Bread for 23 million dollars |
| 1997 | The bakery cafes outside St. Louis are renamed Panera Bread |
| 1999 | The company sells Au Bon Pain for 78 million dollars and renames itself Panera Bread Company |
| 2017 | JAB Holding buys Panera for about 7.5 billion dollars and takes it private |
| 2021 | JAB merges Panera, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels into Panera Brands |
| 2023 | Panera Brands files confidentially for a new stock market listing |
For about two decades before 2017, Panera was a public company traded on the Nasdaq, and it was one of the best performing restaurant stocks of its time. How the St. Louis Bread name turned into Panera is covered in why is it called Panera.
Who is JAB?
JAB Holding Company is the investment arm of the Reimann family, one of Germany’s wealthiest families. Over the past 15 years it built one of the biggest collections of coffee and breakfast brands in the world.
| Brand | JAB connection |
|---|---|
| Panera Bread | Owned through Panera Brands |
| Caribou Coffee | Owned through Panera Brands |
| Einstein Bros. Bagels | Owned through Panera Brands |
| Pret A Manger | Bought in 2018 |
| Krispy Kreme | Bought in 2016, later listed on the stock market with JAB as a major holder |
| Keurig Dr Pepper | A large shareholder for years, since reduced |
Who runs Panera now
Panera has had several leadership changes under JAB. Ron Shaich, who built the company and led it for decades, left after the sale. Chief executive Jose Alberto Duenas stepped down in 2024, and Paul Carbone, the finance chief, took over, becoming chief executive in March 2025. The company is now based in Fenton, Missouri, near St. Louis, where it started.
Panera runs a mix of company owned and franchised cafes, which is why prices vary from one market to another. Current prices and the Unlimited Sip Club details are on the Panera menu.
Is Panera going public again?
That is the plan JAB has signalled. Panera Brands filed confidential paperwork for a listing in December 2023, but as of 2026 no share sale has been completed. Some industry analysts have suggested JAB could also sell the business privately. Until one of those happens, JAB remains the owner.
Related Questions
Who owns Panera Bread?
JAB Holding Company, a private investment firm based in Luxembourg and backed by Germany’s Reimann family. It bought Panera in 2017 for about 7.5 billion dollars and owns it through Panera Brands, alongside Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Is Panera Bread publicly traded?
No. Panera was taken private in 2017. Its parent, Panera Brands, filed confidentially to go public in December 2023, but the chain is still privately owned by JAB.
How much did JAB pay for Panera?
About 7.5 billion dollars, in a deal that closed in July 2017. It was one of the largest restaurant buyouts of the decade.
What companies are part of Panera Brands?
Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels. JAB combined them into Panera Brands in 2021.
Who is the CEO of Panera?
Paul Carbone, who became chief executive in March 2025 after serving as interim chief and chief financial officer. He replaced Jose Alberto Duenas.
Does Panera own Au Bon Pain?
Not anymore. Panera grew out of Au Bon Pain Co., which sold the Au Bon Pain chain in 1999. Under JAB, Panera bought Au Bon Pain back in 2017 and then sold it again in 2021.
More on Panera
About this guide. USA Food Menu is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with Panera Bread, Panera Brands or JAB Holding Company. Ownership details come from company announcements and published reporting and may change if the planned listing or a sale goes ahead. Current prices are on the Panera menu.
More Restaurant Guides
Who Owns In-N-Out Burger?
Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder. She is the company’s president and has been its sole owner since 2017. In-N-Out has never…
Who Owns Five Guys?
The Murrell family. Jerry and Janie Murrell started Five Guys with their sons in 1986, and the family still owns and runs it. It is a private company that grows…
Who Owns Chili’s?
Brinker International, a Dallas based public company that also owns Maggiano’s Little Italy. Chili’s started as a single burger joint in Dallas in 1975 and has…