Au Bon Pain

Au Bon Pain (French pronunciation: ​[o bɔ̃ pɛ̃], meaning "With the Good Bread") is a fast-casual bakery and café chain headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1978, Louis Kane founded the first Au Bon Pain in Boston. Since its inception, the chain has expanded throughout the United States. Additionally, there are numerous franchise locations internationally in India and Thailand.

History

In 1984, the first Au Bon Pain cafe outside of Boston opened in New York City. In 1991, the company went public as Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. In 1999, Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. sold its Au Bon Pain division to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co., which then sold it to Compass Group in 2000. Following a management buyout in 2005, private equity group LNK Partners acquired a controlling interest in Au Bon Pain in 2008.

Susan Morelli is the President and CEO of Au Bon Pain. In 2014, under Morelli's leadership, Au Bon Pain was named one of the top women-led businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe and the Commonwealth Institute (Boston).