Panera Bread Company is a national bakery-cafe with 1,504 locations across the US and Canada. This case study provides information regarding the past performance, current analysis, stock valuation, market evaluation, and industry comparison. In this analysis and case study, we hope you, the reader, will gain usable insight on Panera Bread and its value. We will give a recommendation to our readers according to our given information. Panera Bread is a chain of bakery-cafe quick service restaurants in the United States and Canada that sells breads, sandwiches, soups, salads, and other bakery items. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Panera bread was once originally known as the St. Louis Bread Company. In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co. purchased the Saint Louis Bread Company, which was founded by Ken Rosenthal. At the same time, the St. Louis Bread Company was renovating its 20 bakery-cafés in the St. Louis area. In May 1999, to expand Panera Bread into a national restaurant, Au Bon Pain Co. sold its other chains, including Au Bon Pain, which is now owned by Compass Group North America. Au Bon Pain Co. then renamed itself Panera Bread. The company operates and franchises 1,504 Panera Bread bakery-cafés in 40 states and 17 facilities that deliver fresh dough to the bakery-cafés every day. In its headquarters city of St. Louis, Panera Bread still operates under the name St. Louis Bread Company. The St. Louis Metropolitan area has over 100 locations. In 2005, Panera ranked 37th on Business Week’s list of "Hot Growth Companies", earning $38.6 million with a 42.9% increase in profits. In 2007, Panera Bread purchased a majority stake in Paradise Bakery and Cafe, a Phoenix-based concept with over 70 locations in 10 states (predominantly in the west and southwest). The Company purchased the balance of Paradise in June 2009. Panera Bread expanded into