As you walk through the doors of Panera Bread, the lighting and decor calm you as the fresh smells of the bakery surround you. Every detail has been carefully coordinated to ensure a high-quality dining experience at a reasonable price. This sophisticated concept for Panera began when a cookie company and a fast food restaurant, Au Bon Pain, synergized their efforts and found a suitable niche between fast food and fine dining (Repetti and Vincelette, 2005) . By 2003, the company was able to generate significant revenue from its owned stores, the sale of fresh dough to franchisees, and royalties and fees paid by franchisees (Repetti and Vincelette, 2005). In an effort to ensure the success of Panera's strategic direction, I presented a plan focused on growth, customer service and financial strategy. The plan Panera pursued was similar to my proposal. However, to achieve Panera's level of success and industry dominance, I would have chosen to follow the plan designed by Panera's management. The success of Panera's competitive strategy relies on the company's ability to create value for customers and effectively expand their reach through new locations. , and their ability to exercise financial control over their operations. Panera has created a valuable experience for its customers by combining the casual atmosphere of a coffee shop with the quality of a sandwich shop and the expedited service of a fast food establishment. Additionally, Panera experienced incredible progress between 1999 and 2003 due to its well-planned growth strategy. The company avoided the limited growth experienced by restaurants in urban areas by strategically placing their new locations in areas that were pre...... middle of paper ...... received from EBSCOhost.Panera Bread Company. (2004). Annual Report 2003. Retrieved from http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/ar-2003.pdfPanera Bread Company. (2011). Annual Report 2010. Retrieved from http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/ar-2010.pdfRepetti, T. and Vincelette, JP (2005). Panera Bread Company: Rising fortunes? In TL Wheelen & JD Hunger (12th ed.), Strategic management and business policy (pp. 29-1 – 29-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Rockwood, K. (2009). Rising dough. Fast Company, (139), 69-73. Taken from EBSCOhost. Tritto, C. (April 15, 2007). Panera. St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/04/16/focus22.html?page=2Wheelen, TL and Hunger, JD (2012). Strategic management and business policy: towards global sustainability (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.