Question: is au bon pain owned by panera?
Answer: Au Bon Pain Co. was co-founded in 1981 by Ron Shaich, who acquired a chain of bakery restaurants that became known as Panera and later spun off Au Bon Pain. ... Earlier this year, after 26 years as a public company, Panera was purchased for $7.5 billion by JAB Holding Co., a family-held European company.