St. Louis, MO – March 13, 2026 – Panera Bread, a leader and pioneer in the fast casual restaurant industry, today announced that Patrick Coelho has been appointed Chief Development Officer. Coelho will report to Chief Executive Officer Paul Carbone and join the company’s executive leadership team in early April.
“As we advance our RISE transformation strategy, Patrick is a proven leader who will play a key role in Expanding our Network as we focus on evolving our bakery-cafe of the future, new unit growth, and driving profitability,” said Paul Carbone, Chief Executive Officer, Panera Bread. “I am thrilled to welcome Patrick to the team at such a transformational time for our company.”
Coelho joins Panera from Papa Johns, where he led North America Development for both company and franchise locations. Prior to Papa Johns, he spent more than a decade leading various business functions ranging from finance and operations to real estate and franchise relations for global consumer brands. Coelho led national expansion efforts as Chief Development Officer for Scooter's Coffee, and spent several years with Restaurant Brands International, where he led efforts to reimage and modernize the Burger King brand’s presence in North America as Head of Development, Americas.
Coelho will succeed current CDO Brian Krause in the role, who will remain with the company through early April to ensure a smooth transition.
“Brian was instrumental in helping us exceed our Development goals last year while getting more cafes opened earlier than planned, and I want to thank Brian for his leadership and contributions to Panera,” continued Carbone. “As Patrick steps into the role, we remain firmly focused on executing against our RISE transformation strategy.”
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About Panera Bread
Our first bakery-cafe opened in 1987, founded with a secret sourdough starter and the belief that the best part of bread is sharing it. That vision led to the invention of the Fast Casual category with Panera at the forefront, serving as America's kitchen table centered around our delicious menu of chef-curated recipes that are crafted with care by our team members. We make food that we are proud to serve our own families, from crave-worthy soups, salads and sandwiches to mac & cheese and sweets. Each recipe is filled with ingredients we feel good about and none of those we don't because we are committed to serving our guests food that feels good in the moment and long after. While our company is now about 2,200 bakery-cafes strong, our values and belief in the lasting power of a great meal remain as strong as ever. We spend each day filling bellies, building empowered teams and inspiring communities. Nothing beats breaking bread together.
As of March 3, 2026, there were 2,249 bakery-cafes, company and franchise, in 48 states and Washington D.C., and in Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co.® names. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast casual restaurant companies in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels. For more information, visit panerabread.com or find us on X (@panerabread), Facebook (facebook.com/panerabread) Instagram (@panerabread) or TikTok (@panerabread)
