The investment firm that owns Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Keurig Green Mountain coffee will be expanding its portfolio to include St. Louis-based Panera Bread Co. JAB Holdings Inc. announced on Wednesday that it had acquired Panera for a deal valued at roughly $7.5 billion.
The deal includes an assumption of about $340 million in debt. Few details have been given about what this means for the future of Panera, which operates more than 2,000 locations across the U.S. "We strongly support Panera's vision for the future," JAB CEO Olivier Goudet said in a statement. "We are excited to invest in and work together with the company's management team and franchisees to continue to lead the industry."
Source: STL Today.com