Au Bon Pain

Au Bon Pain (French pronunciation: [o bɔ̃ pɛ̃]; English: (Place) of Good Bread) is a fast-casual bakery and cafe chain headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Louis Rapuano and Louis Kane founded the first Au Bon Pain in Boston in 1978. Since then, the chain has expanded throughout the U.S. and to India, South Korea and Thailand.

History

Au Bon Pain Corporate Support Center, the headquarters in Boston

Au Bon Pain at Siam Square in Siam, Bangkok

125 West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, with Au Bon Pain

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. Louis Kane was not a founder since the Au Bon Pain in Fanueil Hall existed before he and Arthur Blasburg were involved in acquiring the interest of Pavaillier Machinery (manufacturers of the French equipment)

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 with many of them featured in Walmart and Macy's Department Stores. Most of the stores in the northeast United States are company-owned, while international locations, such as the locations featured in Macy's and Walmart, are typically franchised. Boston; New York City; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; 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 one location on its campus, and Virginia Tech has three. One of those three Virginia Tech locations, the one in the Graduate Life Center section of campus, was the site of the 2009 murder of Xin Yang.

There are also locations in Thailand and South Korea.

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.

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.^{[citation needed]} Likewise, Imus in the Morning, which airs on the Fox Business Network, has guests drinking from Au Bon Pain cups. Don Imus and Charles McCord, however, use Imus Ranch cups.

External links

• Official website
• Article on nutrition kiosks