JULY 26, 2025 — FRESH DOUGH PRODUCTION NATIONWIDE HALTED
Panera Bread has announced that it will permanently shut down its remaining fresh dough facilities over the next 18 to 24 months, completing a transition that began more than a year ago.
Current Closures:
Orlando, Florida (114 employees) 7/25/25
Brentwood (St. Louis), Missouri (72 employees) 9/12/25
“This new model allows us to develop more stores and grow throughout the United States in cities and towns that we couldn't expand to previously because of the limited distance those fresh dough facility delivery trucks could travel. So, while it was a difficult decision, it's the right decision for our future.”
MAY 18, 2025 — MICHIGAN FACILITY CLOSURE
The company has announced the closure of its Romulus fresh dough production facility in Romulus, Michigan. The decision appears to be driven by outsourcing some bakery services to a 3rd party bakery to produce partially pre-baked breads for stores and frozen baked goods for grocery stores.
The closure will impact 66 employees, with terminations scheduled for July 25, 2025.
NOVEMBER 1, 2023 — 17% OF CORPORATE STAFF TARGETED
In preparation for an IPO, Panera is laying off 17% of its corporate staff or 300 staff in supporting roles.
According to a company spokesperson, "To best position the company for the future and continually improve our guest experience, Panera is taking steps to simplify our operations. To fully enable this simplified model, we have made some difficult decisions to better align our support structure with our strategy."
JUNE 24, 2022 — Original post…
St. Louis, Missouri-based Panera Bread, a national bakery-cafe chain, has announced the relocation of its headquarters to Fenton, Missouri, targeted for mid-2023 as part of its downsizing initiative.
According to Panera's leasing agent, "the bakery chain’s 650 corporate employees currently based in Sunset Hills operate in a hybrid work model that has reduced their need for traditional office space." The move will downsize the company’s space from about 150,000 square feet on four floors to two floors with 72,000 square feet.
A company spokesman noted, “This new space will offer amenities to support associate well-being while providing space for our innovative team to ideate, collaborate, and support our bakery-cafes across the nation.
Panera plans to go public by a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) sometime in the future.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?