In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich bought a small, struggling Boston bakery chain called Au Bon Pain, and built it out to 250 locations nationwide. Ron then saw an opportunity to build something even bigger: Panera Bread. It was the start of "fast casual" – a new kind of eating experience, between fast food and restaurant dining. Today, Panera Bread has over 2,0 ... Show More
May 2024
Trendspotting with Ron Shaich: Panera, Cava, and Beyond
Some business leaders have a seemingly psychic ability to spot trends, and take them mainstream at just the right moment. Ron Shaich is one of those. As a pioneering force behind fast-casual dining, Shaich saw that a growing number of Americans craved higher quality food in a rel ... Show More
27m 40s
Nov 2023
Fast Casual Food Pioneer Ron Shaich Explains How to Find a Niche — and then Scale
The restaurant business is notoriously competitive and often propelled by passing fads. But, first at the helm of Au Bon Pain, and then as the founder of Panera Bread, Ron Shaich managed to create an entirely new category of dining between fast food and table service and then dom ... Show More
30m 12s
Nov 2025
Panera Founder Ron Shaich
Restauranteur Ron Shaich reveals how he built the fast casual industry, scale a business, and spot the trends before they happen.
Ron Shaich is an entrepreneur and investor. He was the founder and former CEO of Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain, generating 25% annualized returns a ... Show More
1h 43m
May 2023
‘Papa’ John Schnatter. Papa John Tells All. Episode 575 with The Real Brad Lea (TRBL)
<p>Over 34 years ago, Papa John built his small business into a successful multinational corporation, with over 5,200 stores worldwide, making him the perfect example of achieving the American Dream. As a passion-driven entrepreneur, John regularly comments on a wide range of iss ... Show More
1h 22m
Jul 2023
Subway vs Quiznos | Anywhere and Everywhere | 2
It’s 1987 in Denver, Colorado, and a 22-year-old stockbroker named Rick Schaden invests a market windfall into a Quiznos franchise. Four years later, he and his wealthy father buy all 18 stores. Their outlandish dream: take on Subway. Meanwhile, a college kid manages to lose 245 ... Show More
33m 42s