Breadsmith Competitors

Our first bakery-cafe opened in 1987, founded with a secret sourdough starter and the belief that the best part of bread is sharing it. That vision led to the invention of the Fast Casual category with Panera at the forefront, centered around our delicious menu of chef-curated recipes that are crafted with care by our team members. We make food that we are proud to serve our own families, from crave-worthy soups, salads and sandwiches to mac & cheese and sweets. Each recipe is filled with ingredients we feel good about and none of those we don't because we are committed to serving our guests food that feels good in the moment and long after. While our company is now more than 2,200 bakery-cafes strong, our values and belief in the lasting power of a great meal remain as strong as ever. Nothing beats breaking bread together. We believe in serving delicious, freshly prepared food made with carefully selected ingredients that we are proud to serve our own families. Our menu, crafted by chefs and bakers, features classic, comforting dishes, each with an intriguing twist. We’re also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we offer omni-channel access to your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering, catering, and Rapid Pick-Up® for to-go orders, Curbside pick-up and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests. Today, Panera operates as both Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co St. Louis Bread Company in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. To find a location in your area, click here. Panera Bread is privately held by JAB Holding Company. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast casual restaurant platforms in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels.

We’re a Belgian bakery and restaurant serving simple, wholesome and seasonal food. Le Pain Quotidien means “the daily bread” in French, and like our name suggests, we’re bakers at heart. Although our handmade, organic bread is how we got our start, we serve a variety of healthy options like organic coffee, pastries, eggs, tartines, soups, salads and desserts. At Le Pain Quotidien, we believe that food should be simple, nourishing and delicious. That’s why we source ingredients that are local or organic whenever possible. We also believe in the importance of eating a healthy, plant-based diet, so you’ll find many vegetarian or vegan options on our menu.

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the leader in the fast-casual artisan pizza category, uses an assembly line format to create pizzas at lightning fast speed. Each Blaze Pizza restaurant makes its own dough from scratch using a recipe that requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce its signature light-as-air, crisp crust. Guests watch as each perfectly proofed dough ball is pressed into a generous 11-inch crust. Pizzas are made in front of the customer using an assembly line format and are ready in three minutes. Blaze Pizza's menu also features signature salads, fresh lemonades, craft beer and wine and house-made S'more Pies, and also offers numerous gluten-free and plant-based options. A creation of Elise and Rick Wetzel (founder of Wetzel's Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including Maria Shriver, movie producer John Davis and Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner. Blaze Pizza's seasoned executive team brings fast-casual and quick-serve restaurant experience from numerous concepts including Buffalo Wild Wings, Freebirds World Burrito, California Pizza Kitchen, and Carl's Jr. The company, which Forbes.com named a "Hot New Restaurant Chain from an Established Brand," is registered to sell franchises in all 50 states and is currently accepting applications to develop franchise stores across the country.