Panera Founder Ken Rosenthal Dies at 81

The founder of the well-known bakery-cafe chain Panera, Kenneth “Ken” Rosenthal, has died at the age of 81.

Rosenthal passed peacefully on Feb. 14. He created the St. Louis Bread Company in 1987, which would later grow into Panera Bread, a name synonymous with fresh bread, sandwiches, soups, salads, and coffee.

In a blog post, Rosenthal’s nephew Bob Clark reflected on his uncle’s legacy. He shared that Rosenthal unluckily opened his first bakery on Oct. 19, 1987, the day the stock market crashed. In response to the crisis, he mailed 10,000 postcards with a photo of a French baguette, offering recipients this free item that same day, to build customer traffic and interest in his new store during this uncertain time.

Soon after, Clark revealed, the bakery’s growing popularity led to multiple stores being opened in short order. “He went on to build about 24 more stores and then sold the company to the public company Au Bon Pain, which had done an IPO and then was struggling and scrambling to find a new way to make their business model work until they discovered the magic of the St. Louis Bread Company,” Clark said. “The combination made Panera the best-performing stock in the USA in the decade leading up to 2009.”

Ken Rosenthal, founder of Panera Bread, dies at 81 https://t.co/VnNt31tDsu

— KSDK News (@ksdknews) February 18, 2025

After selling the business, Rosenthal started yet another company that became one of the major franchisees of Panera Bread Company. In 1997, he formed Breads of the World LLC, a Panera franchisee, and opened almost 100 stores.

Rosenthal is survived by his wife of 55 years Linda, his four children, and 13 grandchildren.

Panera Continues To Evolve With the Hiring of CIO Santhosh Kumar

Per the company’s press site, the bakery chain continues to drive forward an exceptional guest experience by bringing on talented additions to its staff. Santhosh Kumar joined the company as chief information officer on Feb. 12 and is leading the company’s technology organization. He is responsible for the development, integration, and deployment of technology across more than 2,200 cafes.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Santhosh to the Panera Bread leadership team,” said Interim CEO Paul Carbone in the press release. “As the technology landscape continues to evolve, Santhosh brings the right combination of strategic technology expertise, industry experience, and proven ability to build high-performing teams that will help drive Panera’s continued success.”

Kumar said of his new role, “Panera Bread has a strong history as a technology leader in the restaurant industry. I am proud to join an already outstanding team and to continue Panera’s relentless focus on creating the most seamless and efficient experience for our team members and guests.”

As of Dec. 31, 2024, there were 2,216 cafes, companies, and franchises, in 48 states, Washington D.C., and Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. names.