– USA, MO – Panera Brands Inc., which includes the iconic fast casual concept Panera Bread, as well as Einstein Bros. Bagels and its regional brands and Caribou Coffee, announced the appointment of José Cil to the role of Chairman of its Board of Directors, succeeding Patrick Grismer, who served as independent Board Chair since June 2024.
About José Cil
José Cil served as CEO of Restaurant Brands International [NYSE: QSR], one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies, which owns the Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs brands. In that role, he helped grow that business to more than $40 billion in system-wide sales and 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. He also oversaw the global expansion of Burger King, Popeye,s and Tim Hortons, the acceleration of unit and same-store sales growth of Popeye’s in the United States, the successful reinvigoration of Tim Hortons in Canada, and the acquisition of Firehouse Subs, while driving strong financial results for RBI and its shareholders.
Prior to leading RBI, José Cil served in various leadership positions over the course of a 20-year career at Burger King, including as Global President of Burger King and President of Burger King EMEA. He also currently serves as a Board member of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. [NYSE: NCLH] and private equity-owned Restaurant Brands Europe.
About Panera Brands
Panera Brands is one of the world’s largest fast-casual restaurant platforms, with more than 3,700 company and franchised locations and approximately 120,000 system employees across 11 countries. A portfolio of complementary brands bound by common values and shared growth opportunities, Panera Brands is comprised of Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee, ee, and Einstein Bros. Brands. Panera Brands companies are independently operated and underpinned by industry-leading technology, loyalty, and high-quality ingredients. Panera Bread is a pioneer and market leader in fast casual, with leadership in ingredient quality, omnichannel access, digital convenience (nearly 60% of sales are ecommerce as of March 2025), and engagement (more than 64 million MyPanera loyalty members as of March 2025).
As of April 1, 2025, there were more than 2,200 bakery-cafes, company and franchise, in 48 states and Washington D.C., and Ontario, Canada, operating under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. names. Einstein Bros. Brands, consisting of Einstein Bros. Bagels, Bruegger’s Bagels, Noah’s New York Bagels, and Manhattan Bagel, is a market leader in bagels and bagel sandwiches, operating more than 700 units (excluding 277 licensed units) across the US. Caribou Coffee provides high-quality, handcrafted coffee-forward beverages and craveable food options, with more than 800 coffeehouses in 11 countries.
For more information: https://www.panerabread.com/
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