A well-known coffee shop, Au Bon Pain, has reportedly shut down its last remaining store in Boston, Massachusetts, where it started 46 years ago.
Sources indicate that the South Station location of this famous coffee shop is no longer in operation. This closure marks the end of the brand's presence in its founding city.
Coffee Shop Mystery: Au Bon Pain's Silent Closure Revealed Online
A member of the Facebook group 'Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants,' managed by food writer Marc Hurwitz, was the first to spread the news about the closure of Au Bon Pain's store. Hurwitz also discussed this development on his blog, Boston Restaurant Talk.
Despite no official announcement from Au Bon Pain, the store appears to be permanently closed, as indicated by Google. This location has also been removed from Au Bon Pain's official website, confirming its closure.
Ampex Brands, a division of Yum, now owns the Boston-originated coffee shop chain Au Bon Pain! Brands Inc., since 2021.
Previously, in 2017, Panera Bread had acquired Au Bon Pain, only to sell it later. Notably, there has been no formal announcement from Au Bon Pain about the closure of their location.
In a 2021 press release, it was revealed that Au Bon Pain was expected to boost the company's revenue by about 10% every year.
Tabbassum Mumtaz, CEO of Ampex, expressed optimism in the press release, stating, 'We see a solid future for both Au Bon Pain and our broader portfolio.'
Mumtaz also mentioned the strong performance of their quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands during the pandemic, primarily driven by increased drive-thru orders. This success, according to Mumtaz, provided the opportunity to revitalize Au Bon Pain, a brand with a long history.
He added, 'The bakery café category will rebound, and Au Bon Pain is well-positioned to grow.' This suggests a confident outlook for the future of the coffee shop chain.
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Au Bon Pain: Ending a 46-Year Legacy
Founded in Boston in 1978, the coffee shop company Au Bon Pain once boasted over 300 stores, including many in Boston and Cambridge. These shops were commonly located in office buildings, hospitals, and airports.
Au Bon Pain has had a notable connection with Panera Bread. In 1993, the company acquired St. Louis Bread Company, later known as Panera, and expanded it. In 1999, Au Bon Pain sold its stores to focus on growing Panera but then reacquired Au Bon Pain in 2017.
Around this time, several Au Bon Pain locations in the Boston area started closing. 2016, the prominent Harvard Square store, famously featured in the movie 'Good Will Hunting,' shut down. By 2019, Eater Boston reported that all stores in Cambridge had closed.
The exact closing dates of the last Boston stores are unclear. However, the Au Bon Pain website now shows only one remaining cafe in Massachusetts, a franchise at Stonehill College.
Ampex Brands, the current owner of Au Bon Pain, shared with The Boston Globe their intention to expand the brand as the United States recovers from the peak of the pandemic and COVID-19 lockdowns.
However, when Boston.com attempted to verify the recent closures of Au Bon Pain locations in Boston, they could not get a response from the company's team.
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