Santhosh Kumar Appointed Chief Information Officer Of Panera Bread

ST. LOUIS, MO – Panera Bread, a leader in the fast casual restaurant industry, has announced the appointment of Santhosh Kumar as Chief Information Officer, effective February 12. Kumar will report to Interim CEO Paul Carbone and lead the company’s technology organization, overseeing the development, integration, and deployment of technology across more than 2,200 Panera cafes. He will work closely with the Panera Bread leadership team and franchisees to enhance the experience for both team members and guests.

Kumar is a seasoned IT executive with extensive expertise in digital transformation, core application modernization, retail point-of-sale systems, and electronic payment technologies. He joins Panera from United Natural Food, Inc. (UNFI), where he led a multi-year warehouse transformation program and cloud modernization efforts, achieving significant operational efficiencies and cost savings.

Before his tenure at UNFI, Kumar spent nearly 21 years at Dunkin’ Brands, where he led the global IT team through various retail and digital innovation initiatives.

“Panera Bread has a strong history as a technology leader in the restaurant industry,” said Kumar. “I am proud to join an already outstanding team and to continue Panera’s relentless focus on creating the most seamless and efficient experience for our team members and guests.”

Panera operates2,216 cafes, both company-owned and franchised, in 48 states, Washington D.C., and Ontario, Canada, under the Panera Bread and Saint Louis Bread Co. names.