Panera Bread has made its fourth executive change in the past month with the appointment of Brian Krause as chief development officer. Krause joins the fast-casual company from GoTo Foods, where he served as CDO for more than four years.
Krause joins Panera amid a shakeup at the St. Louis, Mo.-based company, including the recent appointments of Scott Uehlein as vice president of culinary, Robin Seward as senior vice president of brand and integrated marketing, and the resignation of CEO José Alberto Dueñas. Additionally, last November, the company bolstered its board with two new appointments (former Starbucks CFO Patrick Grismer promoted to board chair, and former Bloomin’ Brands CEO Deno joined the board).
In his new role, Krause will be charged with driving strategic new store growth for Panera Bread, leading development planning, franchise development and sales, design & construction and real estate.
“Brian brings deep industry expertise in franchise sales and development, and I’m incredibly excited to welcome him to Panera at such a key time of growth,” Paul Carbone, interim CEO of Panera Bread, said in a statement. “With a simplified operating model and a variety of proven cafe formats, Panera is well-positioned to drive both company and franchise growth this year and beyond. As a proven leader and collaborator, Brian is exactly the right person to help accelerate our plan for new unit growth.”
Before his most recent roles, Krause was CDO for Jimmy John’s and has previously held multiple leadership positions with Wyndham Resorts. In his new role at Panera, he will be responsible for helping the company to develop a range of store prototypes, including a smaller format, designed to support off-premises convenience.
“Panera Bread is an outstanding restaurant concept, and I look forward to working and collaborating with our team members, leadership and franchise partners to bring Panera Bread to more communities across the country,” Krause said in a statement.
Contact Joanna at [email protected]
