Flynn Group LP (“Flynn”), the largest franchise operator in the world, today announced the acquisition of 13 Panera Bread cafés from Blue Ridge Bread, Inc., bringing its total location count to 145.
With 11 of the cafés located in Virginia, the acquisition will mark Flynn Group’s entry into the Commonwealth with Panera, with its Flynn Panera portfolio now encompassing nine states. The additional two cafés included in the acquisition are in West Virginia, which will increase its Flynn Panera Bread locations in the Mountain State 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,” said Greg Flynn, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Flynn Group. “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 entered the Panera Bread system in 2015 when it acquired 47 locations in Northern California and Washington. Since then, Flynn has steadily grown with the brand, adding nearly 100 cafés to its portfolio in less than a decade. It currently owns and operates Panera Breas cafés Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Washington, California, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and now Virginia.
Flynn Panera is led by Brand President, Kelly Cook, who first joined Flynn in 2018 as Senior Vice President of Operations. With more than 30 years of experience working with the Panera brand, Cook’s experience with the concept has proved to be invaluable as Flynn has grown to be one of the top franchisees within the system.
“It has been a privilege to have co-created over 40 Panera Bread bakery cafés with our family and added more than 2,000 jobs in the Commonwealth in the past 23 years,” said Adam Jackson, President of Blue Ridge Bread. “We are pleased to pass the torch to the Flynn Group who will continue our tradition of philanthropy and job creation in the many communities we serve.”
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, the first president of Panera LLC for 10 years, lead it through its conversion from Saint Louis Bread Company to Panera Bread and initiated a franchise program which accounts for over 1,000 stores today. He then founded Capitol Dough, Inc. headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia which developed, operated and ultimately sold 70 Panera Breads 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.
