ST. LOUIS — Panera Brands on Tuesday appointed José Alberto Dueñas as chief executive, a move that comes as the fast-casual restaurant company again prepares to offer its shares on the public market.
The St. Louis-based company, which owns Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels, said that Dueñas, who has served as president and CEO of Einstein Bros. since 2019, will assume the role July 1. Dueñas also previously served as chief brand officer for Sonic Drive-In and held leadership roles with Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI).
Panera Brands’ current CEO, Niren Chaudhary, will become chairman at that time. The company also said that Patrick Grismer, who joined the company’s board in 2022 and previously served as Starbucks' chief financial officer, will join its audit committee.
