Au Bon Pain

Au Bon Pain (French pronunciation: [o bɔ̃ pɛ̃], (Place) of Good Bread^[1]) is a fast-casual bakery and cafe chain headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.^[2] Louis Rapuano and Louis Kane founded the first Au Bon Pain in Boston in 1978.

History

Au Bon Pain Corporate Support Center, the headquarters in Boston

Au Bon Pain at Siam Square

In 1984 the first Au Bon Pain cafe outside of Boston opened in New York City. In 1991, the company went public as Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. In 1999, Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. (later renamed Panera Bread Company) sold its Au Bon Pain division to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co., which then sold it to Compass Group in 2000^[3].

According to Hoovers.com, in 2005, Au Bon Pain management purchased 75 percent of the company while the Compass Group retained the remaining 25 percent. The current President and CEO of Au Bon Pain is Sue Morelli.

As of 2008 there were 230 cafes in the United States and abroad. Most of the stores in the northeast United States are company-owned, while international locations are typically franchised. Boston, New York City, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Detroit, and Chicago are all home to numerous Au Bon Pain locations. Many Au Bon Pain stores have been established in transportation facilities such as airports and train stations, as well as shopping centers, hospitals and business districts in cities. Au Bon Pain has three locations in New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal. The chain is also very successful on college campuses: the University of Pennsylvania has four locations on its campus.

The chain focuses on serving coffee drinks, baked goods (with a focus on croissants and bagels), and lunch items such as soup, salads, and sandwiches. In recent years the chain has undergone a brand identity upgrade which has incorporated colors, design, and imagery from traditional French motifs. In 2004, Au Bon Pain hired Chef Thomas John, executive chef from Boston's Mantra restaurant, which was named one of Esquire's best restaurants of 2001 and Condé Nast Traveler's top restaurants of 2003. John was named one of "America's Best New Chefs" in 2002 by Food & Wine Magazine. As a continuation of the new strategy, many cafes are being built or renovated into "Marketplace" stores, in which the product is made available in a self-serve fashion to customers.

In addition to retail cafes, Au Bon Pain also runs a catering division.

The chain was recognized in 2003 for its use of touchscreen terminals offering nutritional information to patrons [1].

The Fox News Channel morning program Fox and Friends engages in product placement advertising with Au Bon Pain by having the hosts drink from Au Bon Pain branded cups.