Autogrill Enters Exclusive Deal with Panera Bread 

Italian caterer Autogrill has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with bakery chain Panera Bread to develop outlets in U.S. airports and motorways.

Under the agreement, the two partners will launch a series of new outlets, the first one at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina this fall. Other openings will follow in 2020, according to Reuters. 

Panera Bread owns over 2,000 bakery-café fast-casual restaurants, all of which are in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Offerings include soups, salads, pasta, sandwiches, specialty drinks, and bakery items. The company, which also owns Au Bon Pain, is owned by JAB Holding Company, which is in turn owned by the Reimann family of Germany.