The British-Based Fresh Sandwich Shop Almost No One Realizes Is Panera's Sister Chain

With over 2,000 locations across the country, Panera Bread is one of the most popular fast casual chains in the U.S. In fact, there are only two states you won't find a single Panera location. But despite fans loving its soup and sandwiches, most diners have no clue that Panera actually has a sister chain that boasts a bit of British elan called Pret A Manger. Unlike Panera's ever-expanding empire, its counterpart only has 61 locations in the U.S. ,though it has almost 700 locations in 18 countries around the world. Both chains are owned by JAB Holding Company, a Luxembourg-based private investment firm that has cornered the market on many food and beverage brands that Americans know and love, including Caribou Coffee, Krispy Kreme, and Einstein Bros. Bagels.

While there are plenty of restaurants you probably didn't realize were sister chains, Panera Bread and Pret A Manger are actually fairly similar when it comes to its menus and price point. Panera Bread is known for its American favorites, like chicken noodle soup and its tomato basil BLT sandwich, while Pret A Manger serves similar items with a more European flair, like turmeric chicken and farro soup and spinach and fontina quiche. The prices at Panera Bread and Pret A Manger are similar, too, ranging from around $5 to $20 with $10  combo deals. Redditors agree that Pret A Porter holds such popularity across the U.K. because it offers higher quality food items than supermarkets and other chains and because its food is freshly prepared and is sold at a fairly reasonable price.

Panera Bread and Pret A Manger both opened in the 1980s. The first Panera Bread opened in St. Louis in 1987, growing to have 19 locations before being acquired by Au Bon Pain in 1993. Pret A Manger opened in London in 1986, when it started brewing the organic coffee it's so well known for even today. Pret A Manger, which means "ready to eat," takes its name from the French expression "prêt a porter," which means "ready to wear." Like the idea of taking clothes straight from the rack, Pret A Manger offers food items ready to grab and go. Each store prepares its food fresh each morning before placing it in either refrigerated coolers or heated cases. Pret A Manger doesn't let its prepared food go to waste, either — it's known for donating its unsold items to local food rescues daily via its charity organization, The Pret Foundation.

Despite Pret A Manger having a small footprint in the U.S., after setbacks due to the pandemic, in 2021 the company revealed plans to double its business. In the U.K., the company took those challenges and expanded into the suburbs. The company has ambitious plans to do the same in the U.S. by opening 300 more stores by 2029. That plan seems to have faced its own setbacks, though, as Pret A Manger abandoned its plans to install 40 new locations in Southern California. Nevertheless, as Panera Bread's fast-casual sister chain continues to expand, American diners will have different grab-and-go options at a Pret A Manger in the near future.