Panera's Brand Refresh Invites Guests To Break Bread

Since at least Biblical times, breaking bread with other folks at a meal carries a deeper meaning and significance beyond the simple act of physical nourishment. To this day and across humanity, sharing bread with others offers more than corporal sustenance and provides an opportunity to make a human connection, strengthen family bonds, forge new alliances, and ease negotiations.

That interpersonal connection that comes with breaking apart a loaf of bread to share with someone else comes through in Panera’s brand refresh, done in partnership with agency BrandOpus, starting with the bakery-cafe chain’s logo. 

The logo’s principal element, the “mother,” is redrawn and now faces the viewer holding an offer of bread. Instead of being framed in a square, Panera’s logo gets an arched top that's evocative of hearths and ovens. The color palette also gets refined and expanded to give the brand some extra warmth and energy.

“Our biggest challenge was preserving vital memory structures from Panera’s rich heritage while tapping into new associations rooted in pleasure, enjoyment, and warmth. Inspired by the passion and abundance of the brand, the revitalized design is a radical revolt against food

restrictions today. It’s a rediscovery of the pleasure that comes with eating delicious fresh food, and we’re excited for the world to experience it,” said Nir Wegrzyn, CEO and founder of BrandOpus, in a press release.

Panera Bread’s new look is rolling out on packaging, in-store, and online through the rest of 2021.