The US bakery-café chain is seeking to provide a more comprehensive guest experience, with its newly designed store more efficiently catering for on-the-go trading while retaining its traditional French café atmosphere for in-store customers
Au Bon Pain has outlined a new streamlined store design to offer increased efficiencies for its core commuting customers.
Parent company Ampex Brands is planning to expand the concept across the bakery-café chain’s 121 US outlets in 2023.
As most of the company’s units are located in commuter, hospital or university settings, a new ordering station, a self-serve bakery and on-the-go priority have been implemented. However, Au Bon Pain said expanded seating and more visibility in the kitchen will also create a better experience for in-store consumers.
“Enhancing the look of our locations is essential to our ‘Back to Bright’ campaign. We set out to build on our promise to serve delicious food in a friendly, fast and clean environment and create an exceptional guest experience. The Café of the Future visually represents our brand’s purpose,” said Ericka Garza, President, Au Bon Pain.
Ampex Brands acquired Au Bon Pain from ABP Corporation, a subsidiary of Panera Bread, in July 2021 and pledged to ‘lead the bakery-café segment into the future’. The first Au Bon Pain store opened under the new ownership is in New York’s Macy’s Queens Center location, having launched in June 2022.
Founded in 2019, Ampex Brands operates more than 400 locations of Yum Brands and 7-Eleven concepts across the US, including franchised KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut stores.
