Read, Watch or Listen

After shrinking portions and skimping on salads, Panera Bread lost traffic and sales; now it’s reversing course. CEO Paul Carbone unveiled Panera RISE, a push to restore food quality, add value options, improve service and build restaurants, with backing from franchisees and JAB Holding. The chain has returned to romaine, will start slicing cherry tomatoes and avocados, and is testing new drinks. Panera will invest more in labor, upgrade its decade-old kiosks and refresh dining rooms. With sales down 5% to $6.1 billion and its ranking at third, management is prioritizing recovery over IPO timing.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.