The founder of Panera Breead, Ken Rosenthal, dies at 81

The founder of Panera Bread, Ken Rosenthal, died on Friday at the age of 81. He was surrounded by family and leaves his wife, Linda “Laya” Rosenthal and his four children.

In 1987, Rosenthal began the precursor of Panera Bread, St. Louis Bretad Company. The little bakery used a fermented mass initiator of San Francisco, which Panera says she still uses in her “iconic bread of fermented mass.”

Ken Rosenthal, left, is the founder of Panera Bretad Co. He and his son -in -law Craig Flom, on the right, will soon open a fifth store at the Denver Technology Center. (Karl Gehring / The Denver Post through Getty Images / Getty Images)

Who started Panera?

The founder of Clayco, Bob Clark, who is married to Rosenthal’s niece, recalled on his website the day that the founder of Panera went to him with a “crazy idea” to start a bakery. During a trip to San Francisco, Rosenthal fell in love with fermented mass bread, the same article that would inspire his business.

“It was more than a bit surprised by the immediate positive reaction to the bakery. Lines of people … multitudes … enthusiasm … zumba … all the things you would like to happen, which led to several stores being open in the short term. ” Clark remembers.

“I remember that Kenny fibers that his plan was to open only four or five stores when it turned out that he had much more ambitious plans. Thank God that no advice took me over anything but construction.”

By telling the “phenomenal success story” by Rosenthal, Clark remembers the founder of Panera as “humble and with a great feeling of astonishment and humor.”

Food plates at the counter inside the bread of panera. (Jeffrey Greenberg / Universal Images Group through Getty Images / Getty Images)

The teenager resurrected after drinking the lemonade loaded with panera, demand claims

Rosenthal sold the chain in the 1990s and became franchisee. The business that began was renowned, but its mission remained. The company says on its website that it still aims to put “a bread bar on each arm.”

Get the Fox business on the fly by clicking here

Panera not only continues with Rosenthal’s commercial legacy, but its philanthropic values. The company is associated with 3,300 beneficial organizations in the United States to donate baked products not sold at the end of the day through its day -end mass nation program, according to Panera website. In addition, the company works to help “unattended children and youth” through the Panera Bread Foundation.