Au Bon Pain opened today a centralized catering facility in Washington, D.C. The opening of the 4,500 square foot state-of-the-art facility will enable Au Bon Pain to immediately expand its catering capabilities as well as to continue to grow its bakery café business in the D.C. area by serving as a central commissary for smaller cafés.

Au Bon Pain fills more than 15,000 catering orders per year in the D.C. metropolitan area from its 1,200 square foot facility. At the new facility, Au Bon Pain will be able to provide full-service catering for events for up to 5,000 guests. In addition, Au Bon Pain will offer more customized menu options for catered events, enabling the company to provide catering services for a broad spectrum of gatherings, from corporate lunches to evening affairs.

The new catering facility will also serve as a centralized commissary, supplying smaller stores with freshly baked goods. This will enable Au Bon Pain to open stores in locations that do not have space to accommodate a full kitchen, by providing these cafes with freshly baked products daily.

“We are very proud of this new catering facility, which will provide the necessary resources to expand our presence in the D.C. area,” says Au Bon Pain President and CEO Sue Morelli. “With the expanded facility and the opening of additional bakery cafés, we expect to see 25 percent growth in business over the coming year.”

Au Bon Pain offers catering for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Some examples of menu options are the continental deluxe breakfast, gourmet cheese board, freshly brewed coffee and tea, a variety of delicious sandwiches and wraps, vegetarian options and a wide array of sweet treats.

Au Bon Pain’s Washington, D.C. centralized catering facility is located at 1100 13th St. Northwest in Downtown D.C.