Panera Bread is officially ending one of its defining traditions – fresh dough made from scratch.
The company confirmed that it will close all remaining fresh dough facilities within the next two years, effectively marking the end of an era for the bakery-café chain that built its reputation on in-house baking.
Instead, Panera will switch to a par-baked model, meaning that breads, bagels, and pastries will arrive at stores partially baked by outside artisan suppliers and then finished on-site. The company insists that customers won’t notice a difference in taste or quality.
The move is part of a three-year overhaul that Panera says will simplify operations, cut waste, and make it easier for them to expand into new markets.
Ultimately, this is a practical answer to a long-standing problem. Fresh dough facilities once baked and shipped daily to every Panera location, but the system was expensive, complex, and limited how far the company could grow.
Back in 2016, Panera operated 24 fresh dough facilities across the U.S. Only nine remain today, and they’ll all be closed within 18 to 24 months.
The change will affect hundreds of bakers, though Panera says it plans to offer job transfers to café positions or to help workers find new jobs through company-hosted job fairs.
Still, for longtime Panera fans, this is a bittersweet shift. The chain’s image has always revolved around warm ovens, fresh loaves, and the smell of bread baked daily. Moving production off-site marks a major cultural change — one that some customers may need time to get used to.
Ultimately, Panera says the new strategy will open the door to new locations in areas that were once too far from its fresh dough facilities. Fewer logistical barriers could mean faster growth for the chain, and fresher bagels at 4 p.m., if the company’s plan actually works.
Source: Cleveland.com