Panera Bread's Closures Have Nothing To Do With A Logo, But Customers Are Mad Anyway

Panera Bread, a solid presence in the national food space since opening in 1987, is having its moment of customer unrest — and, unlike Cracker Barrel, it has nothing to do with a logo. Instead, the core of this growing rumble centers on a defining component of the company's success, one enshrined in its very name: the bread. Recent closures in the world of Panera target the very heartbeat of its bread operation, the fresh dough facilities.

For years, Panera Bread set itself apart from competitors by promoting bread made fresh from scratch every morning. In fact, the Panera website still prominently notes how "the craft of baking bread fresh each day remains at the heart of Panera Bread." But a slow shift over the past year is now accelerating, resulting in the closing of all remaining "fresh dough facilities" (FDFs) over the next two years. Customer reaction to the news is mixed, but plenty have expressed their disappointment or skepticism.

On Reddit, some longtime Panera Bread patrons complain that breads and bagels don't taste the same, with one Redditor noting the bagels are "hard to chew" and another saying the tomato basil bread now lacks the crust and honey-sweet notes that once defined it. Some supposed employees admit to inventory being easier to manage with frozen par-baked bread, but that taste and quality aren't necessarily identical to the original Panera menu. One Facebook user mourned the change, frustrated with the company for "totally abandoning the beliefs and standards of its founders."

The crucial factor for the lack of customer acceptance is what's replacing that FDF model: breads that are par-baked, frozen, and then distributed to individual stores across its national network. Panera holds more than 22,000 locations under its U.S. umbrella, where the new partially baked breads will now be fully baked in-store as needed. That change may seem innocuous, but the implications have far-reaching potential — for better or worse.

Here's how the new par-baked approach works for Panera. While raw dough traditionally came to individual restaurants from Panera-owned fresh dough facilities, the company is now working with third-party "artisan bakery producers" that use Panera's existing bread recipes (via Restaurant Dive). When receiving restaurants finish baking the par-baked, frozen breads, customers still experience the aroma of freshly baked bread emerging from on-site ovens.

Advantages abound from the company's perspective, including flexibility for each store to bake smaller batches throughout the day instead of one large morning run. This cuts down on shortages as the day wears on, providing a consistent supply for all of Panera's sandwiches and favorite take-home breads, from sourdough to focaccia, ciabatta, tomato basil, baguettes, and bagels. It also helps eliminate waste from unsold bread at day's end. Streamlining operations provides consistency as Panera expands and grows over the coming years, and strategically placed bakery partners help further the reach to communities where fresh-dough deliveries via truck aren't feasible.