Industry Veteran Debbie Roberts Joins Panera As Chief Operations Officer

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Sep 08, 2020, 09:49 ET

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Panera Bread announces the appointment of Debbie Roberts as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer effective September 8. A well-known restaurant industry leader, Roberts brings nearly 30 years of restaurant experience and will be a collaborative leader for all Panera operations and operations support functions.

Panera Bread announces the appointment of Debbie Roberts as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer effective September 8.

"We are thrilled to welcome Debbie to Panera and looking forward to her bringing her strong record of cross-functional partnership, results-driven engagement, and especially, her focus on people as the core of operational excellence," said Niren Chaudhary, Panera CEO. "As the brand continues to grow and transform, Debbie's experience will bring fresh perspective and unparalleled industry experience to our executive team."

Roberts joins the Panera team after three decades at McDonald's, where she was most recently East Zone President with responsibility for 7,000 restaurants in 11 regions. Roberts' hire is the latest addition to Panera's leadership team, which has expanded to bring on industry veterans from world-class companies including Kraft, Yum! Brands, Unilever, Pepsi, CVS, Accenture and Coca-Cola.

"Joining an iconic brand like Panera is incredibly exciting," Roberts said. "I look forward to building on the team's accomplishments and helping to simplify and innovate our operations as we navigate this unique time in our industry."

About Panera Bread
Thirty years ago, at a time when quick service meant low quality, Panera set out to challenge this expectation. We believed that food that was good and that you could feel good about, served in a warm and welcoming environment by people who cared, could bring out the best in all of us. To us, that is food as it should be and that is why we exist.

So, we began with a simple commitment: to bake bread fresh every day in our bakery-cafes. No shortcuts, just bakers with simple ingredients and hot ovens. Each night, any unsold bread and baked goods were shared with neighbors in need.

These traditions carry on today, as we have continued to find ways to be an ally for wellness to our guests. That means crafting a menu of soups, salads and sandwiches that we are proud to feed our families. Like poultry and pork raised without antibiotics on our salads and sandwiches. A commitment to transparency and options that empower our guests to eat the way they want. Seasonal flavors and whole grains. And a commitment to removing or not using artificial additives (preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources on our No No list) in the food in our bakery-cafes. Why? Because we think that simpler is better and we believe in serving food as it should be. Because when you don't have to compromise to eat well, all that is left is the joy of eating.

We're also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we now offer new ways to enjoy your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering and Rapid Pick-Up® for to-go orders and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests.

As of June 30, 2020, there were 2,128 bakery-cafes in 48 states and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on Twitter (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) or Instagram (@panerabread).

Media Contact:
Edward Ruddy
Sloane & Company
[email protected]

SOURCE Panera Bread