Panera ‘Bakery-Cafes’ A Quick-Rising Success

Columbus Dispatch:

It’s hard to believe that Panera Bread - with more than 1,000 stores nationwide, 20 of them in central Ohio - has been around only 9 years.

The bakery-cafe chain has been at the forefront of the fast-growing fast-casual restaurant segment, which combines attributes of fast food and casual dining.

Companies such as Chipotle Mexican Grill, Cosi and Noodles & Co. are among many that owe a debt of gratitude to the St. Louis-based chain.

Although the company’s name has been around less than a decade, its predecessor, St. Louis Bread, started in 1986 and opened its first Columbus store a decade ago.

At the time, the chain had fewer than 70 restaurants.