E2 Business Plan from ImmigrationBusinessPlan.com

THE BREAD CENTRIC FAST FOOD MARKET
The emergence of a new type of fast food
bread centric concept
The fast food market has come a long way since
the traditional burger and fries offer. Today, Mc
Donald’s or Burger King is only one of the alternatives
that a consumer can choose from for a
quick meal. Many factors have pushed for this
change, for instance:
• Customers are more health conscious these
days. They know what is and what is not
good for them, and alter their eating habits
in consequence.
• Customers are more demanding in terms of
quality of food and aliments. In this perspective,
they like seeing the food-making process,
which encourages new concepts with
open kitchen and on-site cooking.
• Customers’ taste has become more sophisticated
since they have become well travelled.
Thus, they expect a wider variety of dishes
and specialties. For instance, a crepe, a bruschetta,
a croissant, a baguette, or a fajita
are commonly ordered.
• Customers expect more and more to eat or
be served in an environment that provides an
experience, that has an identity and that tells
a story.
These changes have pushed for a new segment
in the fast food market that addresses the search
for variety, for better taste, for healthier food, and
for a better experience. In the past 15 years, the
US market has seen the emergence of major
bakery-centric fast food chains answering those
criteria.
From its roots in Boston, Au Bon Pain has grown to become one of the leading bakery
café chains. With more than two hundred locations operating in the United States, South
Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, Au Bon Pain is a leader in many trade channels from urban
office buildings to airports, hospitals and suburbs. The company’s upscale urban cafés offer
French-baked goods like croissants, baguettes, and pastries forming the core of the chain’s
menu, which has expanded over the course of its 20-year history to include sandwiches,
salads, soups, gourmet coffees, and other beverages.
8
French Bakery, LLC