For ten years, a businessman Ron Shaykh turned Panera Bread Company to one of the most successful in the USA.

Major U.S. business publications have repeatedly called Panera Bread one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. In 2006 the research agency TNS Intersearch showed that customer loyalty is the highest in such industry. What is the secret of success? In skillfully positioning, skillful work with buyers, a successful scheme of franchising and thirty years of Shaykh experience.

It all began in 1978, when Shaykh began to work in the Boston Original Cookie network. The company chose to open new points in the major shopping centers, while Ron was convinced that much more useful would be to bet on a cafe in the city center.

Thus, Ron opened his own little shop selling cookies. The first six months passed very quickly. There was a lot of work and the income is quite suited businessman, but Shaykh still wanted to see more future Panera Bread locations.

It was necessary to expand. In mind was the company Au Bon Pain, which included three cafes, who sold baked goods. After a short persuasion, the owner of Au Bon Pain Luis Kane has agreed and the companies merged.

For several years, Shaykh meticulously developed every aspect of the new company business. For example, remarked: nobody buys baking before noon. Then Shaykh guessed to include in the menu croissants. The first morning shoppers came immediately.

To better understand the customer, a businessman worked at the box office. Once (it was in 1984), the buyer asked him to cut the loaf into two parts, then put it in the middle of the ham, which he bought in a nearby shop. Shayhuh took only a few seconds to understand: No more narrowly on bread and baking.

In few days at all Panera Bread locations appeared sandwiches, soups and salads. The company has grown rapidly. In place of the first four cafes came more than 250 trade points in major cities of the east coast of the USA: Boston, New York, Washington.

By 1997, Panera Bread has remained a small division Au Bon Pain - the company is engaged not only bakeries, and cafes but very different specialization.

The next step was to expand the list of services among Panera Bread locations. Now in Panera Bread you can not only dine but also have breakfast, take food with and even have a party. Earnings per cafe network quickly grew from a one to two million dollars a year.

Today, Panera Bread has more than 1 100 bakeries, of which about 300 - their own, and all the rest are franchisee partners. But most importantly, fame and scale of the company help to enter into favorable contracts with small networks that can suddenly open up to a dozen Panera cafes on Franchise.