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Prime Rate:6.75%Fed Funds:3.64%5-Yr Treasury:3.88%10-Yr Treasury:4.25%30-Yr Treasury:4.83%30-Yr Mortgage:6.22%·Updated Mar 19, 2026Prime Rate:6.75%Fed Funds:3.64%5-Yr Treasury:3.88%10-Yr Treasury:4.25%30-Yr Treasury:4.83%30-Yr Mortgage:6.22%·Updated Mar 19, 2026
Rates
2026 FDD VERIFIED
Panera

Panera

210 locations

The total investment to open a Panera franchise ranges from $1.4M - $4.7M. The initial franchise fee is $30,000. Ongoing royalties are 7%. Panera currently operates 210 locations. Data sourced from the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document.

Investment

$1.4M - $4.7M

Franchise Fee

$30,000

Total Units

210

FPI Score

This franchise has not yet been scored by the Franchise Performance Index. Scores are calculated based on public FDD data, SBA loan performance, and system-level metrics.

Top SBA Lenders for Panera

What is the Panera franchise?

Panera Bread has long stood as a preeminent and transformative force within the highly competitive fast-casual restaurant landscape, meticulously cultivating a distinctive and widely recognized identity rooted in its pioneering bakery-cafe concept. Since its foundational years, the brand has consistently committed to delivering an elevated and deeply satisfying dining experience, skillfully differentiating itself through an unwavering dedication to culinary excellence, the utilization of fresh, high-quality ingredients, and the provision of a welcoming, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. The Panera franchise model offers astute prospective investors a unique opportunity to align with a brand that has not only successfully transcended the traditional limitations of conventional quick-service dining but has also firmly established itself as a preferred and trusted destination for discerning consumers actively seeking wholesome, chef-crafted meals within an accessible format. Its meticulously curated menu architecture, encompassing an extensive and enticing array of freshly baked artisan breads, signature and seasonally rotating soups, vibrant and thoughtfully composed salads, and meticulously prepared sandwiches, effectively caters to a broad spectrum of tastes, dietary preferences, and meal occasions across multiple dayparts, seamlessly transitioning from energizing breakfast offerings through robust lunch services, into satisfying dinner options, and extending to comprehensive catering solutions for businesses and events. This comprehensive and appealing culinary offering, synergistically coupled with a steadfast focus on clean ingredients, transparent sourcing practices, and a commitment to removing artificial additives, has unequivocally solidified Panera's formidable market position as a clear leader and innovator within the premium fast-casual segment that masterfully bridges the critical consumer desires for both convenience and uncompromising quality. The brand's strategic and continuous evolution has consistently prioritized enhancing the overall guest experience through both proactive

Key Highlights

210 locations nationwide

Data Insights

Key performance metrics for Panera based on SBA lending data

Investment Tier

Premium investment

$1,434,566 – $4,651,324 total

Why Panera Doesn't Appear in Public SBA Data

The SBA 7(a) program publishes loan-level data for every approved franchise borrower. Panera does not currently appear in those public records — and that absence carries useful information for prospective franchisees evaluating this brand.

Absence from SBA records does not mean a brand is un-fundable. It typically means the franchise system uses alternative capital sources, or that current franchisees self-fund, secure conventional bank financing, or roll over equity from a prior business sale rather than going through an SBA-guaranteed 7(a) loan. For prospective Panera franchisees, the practical question is which financing path actually closes for this brand's profile.

Data window: SBA 7(a) approvals reported through the most recent FOIA release. Absence of Panera from this window does not reflect lender denial — it reflects no 7(a)-program activity recorded for this brand in the public dataset.

Payment Estimator

Loan Amount$1.1M
Interest Rate9.5%
Term (Years)10 yr

Estimated Monthly Payment

$14,850

Principal & Interest only

Locations

Paneraunit breakdown

Total Units
N/A
Franchisee Owned
System Owned
Closed

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1 FDD Available for Panera

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Panera