Le Pain Quotidian and Panera?

[Lgalen]

Are these chains connected? The logos look very similar to me.

[greygarious]

I wonder if Panera and Boston Market are now related. I recently tried and liked the chicken salad sandwich at the Boston Market near me. The crusty multigrain bread was very nice. I thought it might be Panera's. I asked, and it is. However, there's a Panera a stone's throw away from the Boston Market so that could be just a convenient bread source for this particular location.

[PommeDeGuerre]

Le Pain is light years better than Panera. Not related.

[ferret]

No connection that I'm aware of. Panera was formed through an acquisition of St. Louis Bread Co. by Au Bon Pain. Le Pain Quotidien was, and is, a European chain.