Franchisee adds Virginia to 145-café count in deal with Blue Ridge Bread
Flynn Group LP, the franchising company, has acquired 13 Panera Bread cafés from Blue Ridge Bread Inc., bringing its total Panera location count to 145 and adding Virginia to the nine states in which it operates the brand.
San Francisco-based Flynn Group, which also franchises the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar concept, as well as Arby’s, Taco Bell, Panera, Pizza Hut, Wendy’s, and Planet Fitness, said 11 of the acquired Panera locations were in Virginia, the company’s first café’s in that state. Two cafés in the acquisition are in West Virginia, which will increase Flynn’s Panera locations there to 10.
“Panera is such a great, natural fit for our portfolio, which is why we were so eager to add the brand under the Flynn umbrella, and have devoted significant resources to growing with them,” Greg Flynn, founder and CEO of Flynn Group, said in a statement.
“We’ve developed a significant foothold here in Virginia with the other major QSR and FSR concepts in our portfolio and are looking forward to bringing those resources to bear to bring added efficiencies and further grow and scale with Panera in the Southeast,” Flynn said.
Flynn entered the Panera Bread system in 2015 when it acquired 47 locations in Northern California and Washington. Since then, Flynn has added nearly 100 cafés to its portfolio. It owns and operates Panera Bread cafés in California, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Washington, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Flynn Panera is led by Kelly Cook, brand president, who joined Flynn in 2018 as senior vice president of operations.
Blue Ridge Bread was founded by Rick Postle, who has been instrumental in the growth and brand development of Panera throughout his 30 years with the organization. Postle led Panera through its conversion from Saint Louis Bread Co. and initiated a franchise program. He then founded Capitol Dough Inc., headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., which developed, operated, and sold 70 Panera restaurants throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
Blue Ridge Bread president, Adam Jackson, and executive vice president, Kelly Jackson, partnered with Postle to develop and operate the 13 stores being sold to the Flynn Group.
Flynn Group operates in 44 states as well as Australia and New Zealand.
Capitol Dough Inc., a restaurant investment company, has developed 75 Panera and Dave’s Hot Chicken stores.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected]
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