the company considered opening locations in Peru. In 1999, Au Bon Pain Co. Inc. (later renamed Panera Bread) sold its Au Bon Pain division to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co. In 2000, it was sold to Compass Group. In 2000, the company reached a franchise agreement with Gourmet Coffee Co. Ltd. of Taiwan to open the first locations of Au Bon Pain in Taipei. In 2005, Au Bon Pain management, in partnership with PNC Financial Services, purchased 75% of the company; Compass Group retained the remaining 25%. In March 2008, LNK Partners, a private equity firm, acquired a controlling interest in the company. In 2011, all of its locations were renovated in a major remodeling program. In 2013, the company announced that by 2017, it would only use free-range eggs. In 2014, under the leadership of Sue Morelli, Au Bon Pain was named one of the top women-led businesses in Massachusetts. In January 2015, Au Bon Pain hired Katherine See as Executive Chef. In 2015, UNITE HERE, a labor union, targeted the company's employees at Philadelphia International Airport. The union published a report that the company was underperforming. In June 2016, Morelli retired and Ray Blanchette was named President and CEO. On November 8, 2017, Panera Bread announced the acquisition of Au Bon Pain, which had split off from Panera in 1999 after being created in 1981. Following the deal, Ron Shaich stepped down as the Au Bon Pain's chief executive, to be succeeded by Blaine Hurst, Panera's president. In 2018, the company looked to close its 9 locations in Washington, D.C. or convert them to Panera Bread locations. In December 2019, Au Bon Pain closed its last location in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ending over 35 years of doing business in their former flagship city. In June 2021, AMPEX Brands purchased the chain from Panera Bread in a deal which included around $60 million in assets. The deal ensured the preservation of the Au Bon Pain brand in light of the closing and conversion of various Au Bon Pain locations into Panera Bread locations. AMPEX Brands declined to disclose the exact value of the deal, but confirmed the inclusion of assets and franchise rights for 131 additional locations. AMPEX Brands also concurrently announced the move of the company's headquarters from Boston to its own headquarters in Texas. See also List of coffeehouse chains List of bakery cafés References External links 1976