Panera Bread Foundation Brings Panera Cares® Community Cafe to Boston

BOSTON, January 23, 2013 /3BL Media/ – The Panera Bread Foundation opened its fifth non-profit community cafe – called Panera Cares – today in Boston. The cafe opening comes on the heels of four successful community cafe launches in St. Louis, MO, Detroit, MI, Portland, OR and Chicago, IL over the past three years.

The community cafe is located at 3 Center Plaza in the Government Center area of Boston. Panera Cares is a new kind of cafe – one that exemplifies an entirely different way of giving back. It is a non-profit community cafe of shared responsibility. The goals of this charitable program are to help ensure that everyone who needs a meal gets one and to raise the level of awareness about food insecurity in the country.

“We are thrilled to be opening a Panera Cares cafe here at home,” said Ron Shaich, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Panera Bread and president of the Panera Bread Foundation. “I have lived in the Boston area for over 30 years and opened my first restaurant at Downtown Crossing, just blocks from our new Panera Cares location. We have thousands of Panera team members living and working in the area. We are part of this community and have a vested interest in addressing the very real problem of food insecurity that many of our neighbors deal with.”

Similar to the other Panera Cares cafes, the newest location is centrally located and easily accessible by public transit, so it can attract an assortment of economically diverse customers.

“Today, there are more than 1,600 Panera bakery-cafes in 44 states and Canada, but our roots are right here in Boston,” Shaich said. “It is a combination of our ties to the city, the generosity of Bostonians and the community needs that make the city ideal for our newest Panera Cares cafe.”

The vision for the Panera Cares cafe is to use Panera’s unique restaurant skills to address real societal needs, make a direct impact in communities and raise the issue of food insecurity.

“This community cafe is a gift to the community that was funded by Panera. All of the build-out costs – nearly $1 million – were covered by the company,” Shaich said. “Panera donated the cafe to the Panera Bread Foundation and will operate it on behalf of the Foundation. Now that the site is open, it’s up to the community to sustain it. All consumers have to do is cover its direct operating costs. They do so by donating for their meals and leaving a little bit more if they’re able to help cover the costs of the meals of customers who cannot contribute. This is a pay-it-forward model and will only work if the community supports it and one another.”

Inside, there are no cash registers or set prices, only suggested donation amounts and donation bins. The Foundation began developing these non-profit community cafes in 2010 as a way to help address the food insecurity issues that affect millions of Americans.

“Having a Panera Cares community cafe in Boston will serve as a great resource for those in our community facing food insecurity,” said Catherine D’Amato, President and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank. “This is a step in the right direction to help end hunger and raise awareness of this ongoing epidemic that affects one in nine residents of eastern Massachusetts and one in six Americans.”

For those without the means to donate for a meal, the Panera Cares cafe also offers a volunteer program option.

“It’s important that we find ways for the community to support our Panera Cares cafe, even if someone is unable to do so monetarily,” said Shaich. “That’s the purpose of our volunteer program. A customer can help perform basic front-of-the-house roles (like cleaning tables, sweeping, etc.) for one hour and receive a meal voucher at the end of that hour. It’s a way to add to the dignity of the experience while still encouraging people to contribute to our mission through their time.”

Any donations in excess of direct operating costs will be used to develop additional programs to serve the community. In St. Louis, Detroit and Portland, for example, Panera Cares offers a job training internship program for local at-risk youth. The intent of the program is to enhance the participants’ educational experience, teach necessary work and life skills and provide access to a real life working environment and team.

The new 4,500 square foot bakery-cafe in Boston will employ more than 40 associates and managers. Numerous vendors also contributed to the effort to develop the Panera Cares community cafe in Boston, either by donating or discounting the price of everything from rent to furniture to coffee.

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About Panera Cares Community Cafes
Panera Cares community cafes are run by the Panera Bread Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The menu at a Panera Cares community cafe is consistent with the traditional Panera Bread bakery cafe menu. At the end of the day, these cafes are not about offering a hand out. They’re about offering a hand up to those who need it. The cafes also offer the option of volunteering an hour of time for a meal. The Panera Cares community cafe model is designed to be self-sustaining with support from the community. Additional information can be found at www.paneracares.org.

About the Panera Bread Foundation
Panera Bread Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Foundation accepts contributions through cash donations received in Panera Cares Community Breadbox donation boxes located in Panera Bread company-owned bakery-cafes throughout the United States, as well as in connection with its community cafes operating under the name Panera Cares. The community cafes provide high quality food in a warm, inviting and comfortable environment. Panera Cares cafes exist to make a difference by offering the Panera Bread experience with dignity to all – those who can afford it, those who need a hand up, and everyone in between.

About Panera Bread
Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,625 bakery-cafes as of September 25, 2012, under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.® and Paradise Bakery & Café® names. We feature high quality, reasonably priced food in a warm, inviting and comfortable environment. With our identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, we are committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Nearly all of our bakery-cafes have a menu highlighted by antibiotic-free chicken, whole grain bread, and select organic and all-natural ingredients, with zero grams of artificial trans-fat per serving, which provide flavorful, wholesome offerings. Our menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites complemented by new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices. In neighborhoods across the United States and in Ontario, Canada, our customers enjoy our warm and welcoming environment featuring comfortable gathering areas, relaxing decor and free Internet access. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. Additional information is available on our website, http://www.panerabread.com.