Panera Bread and Take Back Your Time Team Up to Get Families Back to the Table

Date Posted: 10/18/2006

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo., Oct 18, 2006 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- As American families try to balance soccer practice, dance class, homework and housework -- and grab meals on the go, often in the car -- experts agree that the tradition of the family dinner is in serious trouble. According to Harvard University research, the number of families who share the evening meal together regularly has plummeted 33% in the last 20 years.

But not everyone is willing to let this tradition face extinction. Take Back Your Time, a national initiative addressing the issues of overwork, over- scheduling and time poverty, is joining forces with Panera Bread to promote the annual "Take Back Your Time Day" on October 24th, when families will be encouraged to step back from their busy lives and gather round the dinner table. Panera is supporting the cause by launching a website ( http://www.reclaimdinnertime.com) with tools and strategies for getting families back to the table.

Families that choose to gather at Panera can take advantage of the company's first dinner menu exclusive -- Crispani, a new handcrafted pizza. Coinciding with "Take Back Your Time Day," Panera is offering families a free salad when they purchase a Crispani, available via downloadable coupon on http://www.reclaimdinnertime.com/coupon and valid from October 22nd through October 25th, 2006.

"A decade of research tells us that children who share an evening meal with their families on a regular basis get better grades, are more likely to confide in their parents and eat healthier," says William Doherty PhD, professor of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota and board member of Take Back Your Time. "Whether you gather around your family dinner table or share a meal at a restaurant like Panera where you can truly connect, it's the quality of that gathering that matters. When we sit down to a meal together, we are celebrating the most important things in life -- love, family, good health and good friends."

"We recognize that it's often hard to uphold the family dinner meal tradition, given today's schedules," said Ron Shaich, Chairman and CEO of Panera Bread. "But we also know how important this tradition is. Our bakery- cafes provide families with a place to gather and reconnect -- with quality food, a comfortable atmosphere, and without a strain on the family's schedule. And we welcome our customers to stay as long as they'd like."

In addition to providing a destination for families to physically gather, Panera is launching a new website, http://www.reclaimdinnertime.com with expert podcasts, research, tips on crafting family dinner rituals, suggestions for starting a community movement, mealtime conversation starters, dinner recipes and advice for parents and communities interested in getting their families back to the dinner table.

For a list of different activities and for materials about how to organize a Take Back Your Time Day event, log onto http://www.timeday.org.

About Crispani

Emerging from its roots in artisan baking, Crispani(R) handcrafted pizza marks Panera's first product offering available exclusively in the evening after 4 p.m. With six different varieties that include select fresh, all- natural and organic ingredients, Crispani is made-to-order from fresh dough and then baked in Panera's signature stone deck ovens, creating a thin, crisp pizza.

Crispani is distinct from traditional, everyday pizza as each variety incorporates a combination of carefully selected ingredients including vine- ripened organic tomatoes, Niman Ranch(R) all-natural pork sausage, fresh crimini and shiitake mushrooms and a choice of all-natural cheeses including fresh mozzarella, fresh fontina and freshly grated asiago-parmesan.

The six varieties currently available include:

* Tomato & Fresh Basil -- using vine-ripened Muir Glen(R) organic tomatoes

* Pepperoni -- an all-natural twist on an all-time favorite with grown-ups
and kids

* Roasted Wild Mushroom -- with roasted crimini and fresh shiitake
mushrooms

* Sweet Sausage & Apple -- with Niman Ranch(R) all-natural pork sausage

* Peppered Chicken & Rosemary -- with all-natural pepper-mustard chicken

* Three Cheese -- fresh mozzarella, fresh fontina and freshly-grated
Asiago-Parmesan

Crispani is available in most Panera Bread bakery-cafes across the country. To find the closest bakery-cafe serving Crispani near you, please visit http://www.panerabread.com/cafes/find.php.

About Panera

Panera Bread serves fresh baked, handcrafted artisan breads, sweet and savory baked goods, hand-tossed salads, wholesome soups, and signature sandwiches in a distinctly warm and welcoming environment. Panera Bread is committed to using high quality, fresh ingredients in the food we offer, and making a lasting contribution to the neighborhoods in which our customers and employees live and work through programs like Operation Dough-Nation(R). Headquartered in Richmond Heights, MO, Panera Bread operates 939 bakery-cafes (337 company-owned and 602 franchised) in 37 states as released in the July 25, 2006 earnings statement. For more information, visit http://www.panerabread.com.

About Take Back Your Time

Take Back Your Time is an initiative of the Simplicity Forum and a project of the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University.

SOURCE Panera Bread

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