The deal, announced Wednesday, brings the two chains together again. They were part of the same company in the 1990s, until Au Bon Pain was sold in 1999 to a private equity firm and Panera became the focus.
Panera did not say how much it will pay for Boston-based Au Bon Pain, which operates more than 300 locations. St. Louis-based Panera has more than 2,000 restaurants.
In July, Panera was bought and taken private for more than $7 billion by JAB Holding Co., a European company that has controlling interests in Krispy Kreme, Peet's Coffee and other chains.
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