Case analysis of Panera Bread Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of Panera Bread - Case Study Example Specifically, the company has established 1,625 locations in 44 states and Canada (Panera Bread, â€Å"Company Overview†). The company started in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Company and proceeded to purchase St. Louis Bread Company in 1993, which was operating 20 bakeries in the St. Louis area, Missouri. Thereafter, different events contributed to Au Bon Pain Company selling all its business units although it retained Panera with the company renaming it Panera Bread Company in 1999 (Panera Bread, â€Å"Our History†). In effect, this company operates under the three banners mentioned earlier in this expose. The purpose of this analysis is to inform the reader about the situation at Panera Bread. To achieve this, this analysis will identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in Panera Bread. Finally, the analysis will include the current financial situation in the company. Industry Analysis Before carrying out a SWOT analysis of Panera Bread, it is important to conduct an industrial analysis of the company. In line with this, it is crucial to point out that Panera Bread’s operations are in  the competitive restaurant industry. ... McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and cafes such as New World Restaurant and Starbucks, Panera Bread ensures that its products are of higher quality than those of all these competitors. In this case, the health conscious nature of the world’s population has made it a necessity for companies to engage in production of healthy products. To underline the strategy of Panera Bread Company’s focus on healthy products, a study conducted this year identified Panera Bread as the fast food of choice for customers who were health conscious. The study by Scarborough revealed, â€Å"Health-conscious consumers who have had fast food in the past 30 days are more than twice as likely to dine at Panera Bread for lunch† (â€Å"Health-Conscious†). In effect, this implies that the company was on the right track towards capturing this important and ever-growing segment of the population that was health conscious. On the other hand, Panera Bread is a company smalle r than McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King, which puts the company at a strategic position since the market leaders’ expansion strategy aims at international markets. Hence, Panera Bread can work on differentiating its products in order to achieve market edge over its competitors. Panera Bread’s Strategy Panera Bread’s strategy involves a number of different approaches in business. Importantly, the company’s menu tries to implement the company’s strategy of providing a diverse menu with an ambience that invites customers. In this case, the company’s deli menu contains a variety of products that range from soup to freshly-ground coffee, sandwiches, and freshly baked bread. In effect, the menu intends to fit the needs of people who did not have time to eat in conventional restaurants with the foundation and