11 Biggest Bakery Chains In The U.S.

Venture into a city, any city, and you'll find a bakery in almost every downtown neighborhood. No two ever look alike (or taste the same). What is it that makes some bakeries flounder and sink, while others take off to become recognizable names nationwide?

For some chain bakeries, it's about doing something unique or different, such as the case with the almost 200-year-old sourdough starter at Boudin Bakery or the fresh-ground flour at the Great Harvest Bread Company. It's those seemingly little things that aren't such little things after all. For others, it could be a brush with TV fame that spurred large scale interest and excitement (we're looking at you, Magnolia Bakery). Atmosphere, like the fireplaces of Paris Baguette, or the healthy and fresh emphasis found at Pret a Manger and Le Pain Quotidien, doesn't hurt either.

Whatever "it" is that propels a single storefront into a large-scale chain, the bakeries below went beyond the typical neighborhood gathering place, becoming nationwide — and in some cases, global — names. From breads to cookies to pudding, each bakery had an item or items to take them far beyond locally known status.

You'd never know that Panera Bread opened in 1987 in St. Louis as the St. Louis Bread Company with a sourdough starter from San Francisco. That same sourdough starter is still in use today at Panera's more than 2,000 locations in 48 states. It's not going anywhere. Panera Bread offers a variety of tasty carb vehicles, from bagels to cookies to pastries and scones.

No matter what you choose (though some Panera sandwiches rank higher than others), every menu item sticks to Panera's mission statement to use high-quality ingredients. Panera Bread doesn't include artificial flavor, preservatives, sweeteners, or color in its offerings. Favorites may come and go (pizza and the addition of flatbread in 2020, for example), but it seems as though new items make frequent appearances. Customers enjoy the kitchen sink cookie. This sizeable cookie includes two kinds of chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate and milk chocolate), bits of caramel, pretzels, and finished with a little sprinkle of flaky salt. 

Great Harvest Bread Company opened its doors in Great Falls, Montana, in 1976 by Pete and Laura Wakeman. These two Cornell University students baked bread to pay for their college tuition fees. Their signature loaf included nothing more than water, yeast, salt, fresh-ground flour, and molasses and gained a loyal following. Two years later, a second (franchise) location opened. In 2019, Great Harvest Bread Company boasted 195 locations across the U.S. While that number fluctuates, this huge chain garnered attention for its freshly made bread. How fresh? The Great Harvest Bread Company grinds whole grain wheat into flour daily for the absolute freshest of fresh bread. On top of that, the breads aren't processed, so they never include additives or conditioners.

Due to flexible franchising, each location may vary slightly in its offerings. The original recipe, with the addition of honey, is always on the menu. It's the honey whole wheat bread (and it's just as popular as ever). Explore a mouth-watering assortment of other baked items, including artisan hard-crusted breads, muffins, and cookies. One thing remains the same across the breadboard: Every Great Harvest Bread Company location strives to use local ingredients in a way that makes sense to them. Look for trek bars for a little uptick in energy (and a whole lot of flavor), or treat yourself with a Savannah bar, an irresistible oatmeal cookie bar that's so good, it stands alone on the menu.

Operating in 13 states and the District of Columbia, Au Bon Pain (which is French for "from good bread") has had a few growing pains since its inception in 1978. In 2017, Panera bought Au Bon Pain, then sold 171 of its locations (with allowances to add an additional 131 franchises) to Ampex in 2021. Even after changing hands, Au Bon Pan operates with a commitment to using simple ingredients. It's that commitment that helped maintain a steady stream of regular customers.

The tantalizing smell of baking never quite goes away. This popular U.S. bakery chain emphasizes freshness, with the baking process beginning as the sun rises. The bakery may have started with bread loaves, but has long since opened its offerings to include a full range of baked items, such as muffins, scones, cookies, and Danish. The chocolate chip cookies and the croissants might be considered classics, but there are other baked items to meet and love. The cinnamon swirl roll or the chewy (but soft) oatmeal raisin cookies are worth a taste.

You won't find Pret a Manger (or simply Pret) locations in small places. This bakery chain sticks to the bigger cities, such as Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia (and maybe even inside one of their airports). Surprisingly, Pret a Manger is not original to the U.S., but began in 1986 in London. Mother and daughter Claire and Julian Metcalfe were underwhelmed by their local sandwich shops. They wanted a healthier, fresher alternative and began Pret a Manger, or "ready to eat" in French.

How fresh is the food at Pret a Manger? Everything is made daily in the kitchen on the premises (and in front of you). Its baked goods contain organic flour, stoneground wheat flour, as well as cage-free eggs in its baguettes and egg dishes. You might notice the lack of "sell by" dates on the packages at your local Pret a Manger. All of the unsold products are donated to charities via The Pret Foundation at the close of each business day. Whether you choose an almond croissant, a chocolate brownie cookie, or a blueberry muffin from the menu, you'll know it is actually fresh.

With almost 50 locations, Le Pain Quotidien, or LPQ, occupies the East and West coasts. But this British bakery first opened its doors in 1990 in Brussels. It didn't take long before word of their classically made bread spread. Organic sourdough was new and exciting (this was before everyone started making sourdough at home). Within a few months, they added 10 new locations. Fast forward seven years, and Le Pain Quotidien made the leap to the U.S., opening its first American location on Madison Avenue.

This chain opts for locally-sourced or organic ingredients whenever possible. Loaves at Le Pain Quotidien still begin with the same four ingredients: organic stone-ground flour, sea salt, water and a wild yeast levain starter. After hand kneading the dough, the formed loaves are baked in stone-lined hearths to form the basis of the Belgian sandwich twist, or tartine. Menu selections may vary depending on the location, but there are a few Le Quotidien pastries you'll love more than others. Try the cheese Danish, the chocolate almond croissant, or the apple turnover (just don't forget the bread that made them famous).

Boudin Bakery may only have locations on the West Coast, but its many storefronts span the length of California. Boudin's first loaf of sourdough dates back to 1849 at the hands of Master Baker Isidore Boudin. Yes, you read that right — 1849. One of the employed bakers, Stefano Giraudo, Sr., obviously had talent, and in 1941, when Boudin Bakery suffered financial difficulty, Giraudo, Sr., purchased it. It had been only six years since he'd joined the business, but he knew a good thing when he saw it.

Since then, every loaf has used some of the original sourdough starter, flour, salt, and water in combination with French bread-making practices. No wonder Boudin Bakery is the longest-running business in San Francisco. It is run by Dan Giraudo, the grandson of the man who introduced his unique dark-crusted sourdough bread to the nation. Tour Boudin Bakery at the Fisherman's Wharf location in San Francisco. Bakers gotta bake, and you can watch the process through the 30-foot glass window. In a unique twist, you can also ask the bakers questions directly through the two-way intercom.

French-themed La Madeleine began in downtown Dallas, Texas, in 1983. The location, across the street from Southern Methodist University, was a smart move. Hungry college students helped push La Madeleine forward. Jump ahead a few decades, and in 2001, the bakery changed hands, bought by French restaurant conglomerate Groupe LeDuff (founded by billionaire Louis LeDuff, who also started the French bakery chain Brioche Dorée).

The selection at La Madeleine changes with the seasons. Although you'll never know what you'll find, an assortment of cookies, croissants, baguette, and cakes always fills the cases. Breakfast is served all day, but for something sweet, stick to the classic French fare. Choose the caramel crème brûlée or a classic éclair, a Sacher torte parfait, or one of their picture-perfect tarts (chocolate is always a win). Find them in Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Washington D.C., and, of course, Texas. Grab a seat in front of the fireplace (it's a fixture in every location), and feel like you're in Paris with every bite.

Friends Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald baked bread for more than a few New York City restaurants. Why not open their own bakery and sell their artisan rolls, baguettes, and loaves to anyone who wanted them? That's just what they did. The two pals opened up for business in 1994 on West 74th Street, calling it Levain Bakery (to borrow a French term for leavened bread). But after hours, they had a physically demanding hobby: triathlon training. During their Ironman training, Weekes and McDonald created a thick chocolate chip walnut cookie to help keep their energy up and satisfy their intense hunger after grueling training sessions. In 1995, during a slow day at the bakery, they set out a sample batch to see how it'd do. The test cookies were a hit with their customers and flew off the shelves.

The massive 6-ounce cookies, always served warm from the oven, made them famous. Levain Bakery has added a few other cookie flavors. These permanent menu fixtures include dark chocolate-chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, two chip chocolate chip, and dark chocolate peanut butter chip. Levain Bakery is a tourist destination yet still locally loved. It's even the site of Giada de Laurentiis' ideal last meal. Yes, they still bake rolls, pastries, brioche, and breads, and unsold baked goods are donated to local charities. Recipe copycats may try to replicate Levain Bakery cookies, but for the real deal, you'll be glad to know they've since expanded beyond NYC, with locations in six states plus Washington, D.C. (and even ship their cookies).

Paris Baguette may be a French-themed bakery, but it isn't French at all. What began in South Korea in 1988 moved to Los Angeles in 2005, and has spread across the U.S. Of the 4,000 stores around the world (mainly in Korea and China), roughly a dozen U.S. states now hold the chain bakery, including California, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In 2022, Paris Baguette announced plans to expand to 1,000 U.S. locations by the end of the decade.

Cakes are a top seller, though bread and pastries also rank highly. Some locations celebrate Cake Day, where all the cake sales for the day head to a local non-profit organization. Rumor has it that the strawberry soft cream cake is not to be missed. But you'll find everything from traditional favorites, such as chocolate cake or red velvet cake, to creative flavors, such as chocolate mousse salted caramel layer cake or cappuccino cake. It might be hard to choose just one.

Bread and sweet treats were on the menu at the development bakery for Maggiano's Little Italy in Chicago. It was November 1991, and customers tired of waiting in the constant long lines at Maggiano's wandered into the bakery next door. Who could resist the scent of fresh bread baking? As customers ventured inside, the demand for sandwiches to go with the artisan bread increased. Soon, customers began hankering for soups and salads to go with those sandwiches. Corner Bakery grew into a full product line, and "cafe" was added to the name to reflect its more diverse offerings.

What was once a simple bread-baking storefront is now a fast-casual dining option. More than 40 herbs, veggies, and fruits appear on the chopping block to create a diverse assortment of panini on an open flame grill. Sweet treats are always on the menu, and tempting items such as monster cookies or chocolate baby Bundt cake make a lovely appearance. Menu items depend on the location (and the locations are many). Corner Bakery Cafe branches into 17 states and Washington, D.C., with multiple locations in several of those states.

The the cupcake scene from the popular TV series "Sex and the City" may have catapulted Magnolia Bakery into the limelight in the year 2000 (Season 3, Episode 5), but its world famous banana pudding helped keep it there. Magnolia Bakery began in 1996 by Allysa Torey and Jennifer Appel, with a joint cookbook hitting bookstore shelves in 1999. After a falling out over expansion ideas that same year, Torey continued the Magnolia Bakery, while Appel opened Buttercup Bake Shop.

Torey kept Magnolia Bakery going until selling the business to Steve Abrams in 2006, but it changed hands again in 2021 (this time to a private investment company). The traditional menu, however, has only expanded over the years, with 2023 witnessing a limited edition line of Magnolia Bakery-themed CBD and THC-infused edibles (red velvet and banana pudding) and more traditional seasonal items. New York holds the most storefronts, while California and Illinois each have a brick-and-mortar shop. No matter what Magnolia Bakery you're in, expect the same classic baked goods that grandma used to make amid pastel-colored vintage decor. Just don't leave before trying the banana pudding or the vanilla buttercream cupcake that catapulted Magnolia Bakery into widespread public awareness.