Panera Bread's Fancier Sister Chain Is Roughly The Same Price And Not Enough People Talk About It

Panera Bread is one of the more notable fast-casual restaurant chains in the United States (despite its poor reviews online) and has over 2,000 locations scattered across almost every state in the country. But even Panera fans are likely unaware of the restaurant's sister chain, which has a relatively limited presence (less than 100 locations in the United States). Panera is owned by the Luxembourg-based JAB Holding Company, which means it's under the same corporate umbrella as both Krispy Kreme and Pret A Manager — the latter of which is a British restaurant chain many Panera fans would likely enjoy quite a bit.

In many cases (such as Culver's and its sister company, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q), sibling restaurant chains have very little in common with each other beyond sharing a parent company. However, Pret A Manager and Panera have fairly similar menus and prices. Beyond the organic coffee that Pret is known for, both restaurants specialize in sandwiches, salads, soups, and pastries. With that being said, the specific dishes at each chain do differ. Pret is known for having more European-minded menu items whereas Panera focuses on American food. The restaurants also differ somewhat in terms of atmosphere. In other words, don't expect the same experience at both lunch spots.

Long before becoming Panera Bread's sister chain in 2018, Pret A Manager began as a standalone shop in London in 1986, making it one of several popular fast food chains founded outside of the United States. The restaurant's name is a riff on the French term prêt-a-porter, which means "ready to wear," and is known for its grab-and-go style of dining. Pret makes its food fresh each morning, with each item being placed in self-service refrigerators and food warmers for customers to pick through and take with them. If the idea of pre-made food is ringing alarm bells for you, you'll be happy to know the chain began The Pret Foundation in 1995, which is the chain's widely praised effort to donate unsold goods to local food rescue organizations at the end of each day.

It's been 26 years since Pret A Manager opened its first shop in the United States, but the chain has yet to really break out stateside. Plans for the restaurant chain to expand its presence in the United States have reportedly been in the works for a few years now. The company's stated goal back in 2023 was to have 300 American locations up and running by 2029. There have been roadblocks since then — the company scrapped 40 new locations it planned to open in Southern California in August 2026 — but Pret A Manager is still hoping to gain a larger presence in the United States in the near future.