Panera is moving its headquarters from St. Louis County to Weston, Massachusetts, in July 2027, according to an internal memo obtained by St. Louis Public Radio.
Founded in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Co., the company opened its first location in Kirkwood. It was acquired by Au Bon Pain Co. in 1993 and renamed Panera Bread in 1997, although its local cafes retained the St. Louis Bread Co. name.
Although Panera plans to maintain a support center in St. Louis, many local employees and some remote workers will be asked to relocate to the new headquarters.
Panera operates more than 2,200 locations across the United States and Canada.