From its origins in St. Louis all the way to Luxembourg: Panera Bread has been sold for $7.5 billion.
Panera's new owners are European business group JAB Holding Co., which owns other familiar brands like Krispy Kreme, Keurig Green Mountain, Caribou Coffee and Peet's Coffee & Tea.
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For its money, JAB gets access to a fairly successful lunch franchise, which boasts about 2,000 restaurants and $5 billion in annual sales.
Panera had been public since 1991. The sale makes it a private company.
Panera CEO Ron Shaich, who plans to keep managing the chain, says the acquisition gives him freedom from having to explain his decisions to shareholders.
