Panera Bread 2005 Annual Report Download - page 12

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MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Each Company-owned bakery-cafe has computerized point-of-sale registers which collect transaction data used to generate
pertinent information, including, among other things, product mix and average check. All product prices are programmed into the
point-of-sale register from our corporate office. We allow franchisees, that elect to do so, access to certain of our proprietary bakery-
cafe systems and systems support. Franchisees set their own menu prices.
Our in-store information system is designed to assist in labor scheduling and food cost management, to provide corporate and retail
operations management quick access to retail data, to allow for on-line ordering with distributors, and to reduce managers’
administrative time. The system supplies sales, bank deposit, and variance data to our accounting department on a daily basis. We use
this retail data to generate daily and weekly consolidated reports regarding sales and other key elements, as well as detailed profit and
loss statements for each Company-owned bakery-cafe. Additionally, we monitor the average check, customer count, product mix, and
other sales trends. We also use this retail data in our “exception-based reporting” tools to safeguard our cash, protects our assets, and
train our employees. The fresh dough facilities have computerized systems which allow the fresh dough facilities to accept electronic
orders from the bakery-cafes and deliver the ordered product back to the bakery-cafes.
We have network/integration systems which are corporate office electronic systems and tools which link various information
subsystems and databases, encompassing e-mail and all major financial systems, such as general ledger database systems, and all
major operational systems, such as store operating performance database systems. Most bakery-cafes also provide customers free Wi-
Fi Internet access. As a result, we host one of the largest free public Wi-Fi networks in the country.
EMPLOYEES
As of December 27, 2005, we had approximately 5,100 full-time associates (defined as associates who average 25 hours or more
per week), of whom approximately 300 were employed in general or administrative functions principally at or from our support
centers or executive offices, approximately 800 were employed in our fresh dough facility operations, and approximately 4,000 were
employed in our bakery-cafe operations as bakers, managers, and associates. We also had approximately 8,800 part-time hourly
associates at the bakery-cafes at December 27, 2005. We do not have any collective bargaining agreements with our employees and
consider our employee relations to be good. We place a priority on staffing our bakery-cafes, fresh dough facilities, and support center
operations with skilled associates and invest in training programs to ensure the quality of our operations.
PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
Our brand, intellectual property and our confidential and proprietary information are very important to our business and
competitive position. We protect these assets through a combination of trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition and
contract law.
The Panera®, Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.®, Via Panera®, and Mother Bread design trademarks are of material
importance to us and are registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, other marks of lesser importance
have been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
CORPORATE HISTORY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We are a Delaware corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 6710 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights, Missouri
63117 and our telephone number is [phone].
We were originally organized in March 1981 as a Massachusetts corporation under the name Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. and
reincorporated in Delaware in June 1988. In December 1993, we purchased Saint Louis Bread Company. In August 1998, we sold our
Au Bon Pain Division and changed our name to Panera Bread Company.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act, and, accordingly, file reports, proxy statements and other
information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such reports, proxy statements and other information can be read and
copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at the Public Reference Room, 100 F
Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Information regarding the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained
by calling the Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Securities and Exchange Commission maintains a web
site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file
electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission.