St. Louis Bread Company Collection

Collection

Identifier: LH-wua00523

Staff Only

The majority of St. Louis Bread Company Collection consists of materials including articles of incorporation, awards and certificates, newsletters, financial information, media coverage materials, menus and flyers, photographs, and other ephemera related to the history of the St. Louis Bread Company. Also included are materials related to the company after its sale to Au Bon Pain in 1993 such as annual reports, newsletters, and other ephemera.

Dates

Creation: 1987-2008

Creator

Berger, Doron J. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open

Conditions Governing Use

Users of the collection must read and agree to abide by the rules and procedures set forth in the Materials Use Policies.

Providing access to materials does not constitute permission to publish or otherwise authorize use. All publication not covered by fair use or other exceptions is restricted to those who have permission of the copyright holder, which may or may not be Washington University.

If you wish to publish or license Special Collections materials, please contact Special Collections to inquire about copyright status at (314) 935-5495 or spec@wumail.wustl.edu. (Publish means quotation in whole or in part in seminar or term papers, theses or dissertations, journal articles, monographs, books, digital forms, photographs, images, dramatic presentations, transcriptions, or any other form prepared for a limited or general public.)

Extent

4.25 linear feet

7 boxes (1 Record Storage Carton (15 inches x 10 inches x 12 inches), 1 Flip-Top Document Case (15.25 inches x 10.25 inches x 2.5 inches), 1 Oversized Print Box (20.5 inches x 2 inches x 24.5 inches), 2 Oversized Newspaper Boxes (22 inches x 2 inches x 15 inches), 2 Newspaper Boxes (18 inches x 3 inches x 13 inches))

Additional Description

Historical Information

The St. Louis Bread Company is a chain of "fast casual" bakery-cafes founded by Ken and Linda Rosenthal in 1987. As the owner of two women’s apparel retail shops in St. Louis, Missouri, Rosenthal was searching for fresh business ideas. While visiting his brother in San Francisco, California, Ken Rosenthal believed St. Louis consumers would love the sourdough bread popular in the west.

The Rosenthals invested $150,000 of their own money and another $150,000 from a Small Business Administration loan to rent a 2,500 square foot space in Kirkwood, Missouri, and opened the first St. Louis Bread Company. Doron Berger, a friend of Rosenthal's, invested in the company and started the second store in October 1987.

Eventually St. Louis Bread Co. expanded to 20 locations in the St. Louis area, the menu includes breads and pastries, sandwiches, salads and soup served in fresh bread bowls.

In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co. purchased the St. Louis Bread Company for $24 million. After the purchase, Ken Rosenthal remained with the company for two more years to help launch thirty-two additional locations, many outside of St. Louis. In the mid-1990s, he left to open a franchisee business called Breads of the World.

In 1997, Au Bon Pain renamed the company " Panera Bread" from Latin meaning, “time of bread.” Au Bon Pain then took Panera public. In 1999, Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill and Co. purchased all divisions of Au Bon Pain for $78 million with the exception of Panera Bread. As of November 2010, the headquarters of Panera Bread was located in Sunset Hills, Missouri. On July 18, 2017, Panera Bread was acquired by JAB Holding Co.

Sources: The Panera Bread Story: Sharing Our Passion, Soul, and Expertise, 2008

Interview with Doran Berger, July 7, 2021

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panera_Bread