Au Bon Pain Menu Goes ''Au Natural''

BOSTON-- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Au Bon Pain today announced that it will now use all natural chicken in the company’s signature salads and sandwiches. In conjunction with the introduction of all natural chicken, the company announced that all of its products in every café now contain zero grams trans fat.

The new, all natural chicken is skinless and boneless, and contains no artificial ingredients and no color or chemical preservatives. The all natural chicken contains 30 grams of protein and only 150 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving, making it a wholesome addition to the Au Bon Pain menu. Guests will notice the all natural chicken’s naturally moist, juicy texture and flavors in Au Bon Pain menu items including the Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich, the Thai Peanut Chicken Wrap and the Grilled Chicken Caesar Asiago Salad.

“Providing our guests with fresh, nutritious and delicious food has always been a priority at Au Bon Pain,” said Au Bon Pain President/CEO Sue Morelli. “The all natural chicken is a product that tastes great, naturally. Using the highest quality ingredients available is just one more way of demonstrating our commitment to offering the best tasting and healthiest food options for our guests.”

The elimination of artificial trans fats from 100 percent of Au Bon Pain’s menu items marks the culmination of an effort begun by the company more than four years ago. The completion of this initiative reinforces the company’s leadership in providing a wide variety of nutritious menu items in the fast casual restaurant industry.

Over the past year, Au Bon Pain has established multiple programs to help guests make menu choices that meet their nutritional requirements. In addition to in-store Nutrition Kiosks, which offer customers in-depth ingredient and dietary information about each menu item, the company recently revamped its website with an innovative “Smart Menu,” where guests can search for foods that fit their specific dietary needs and view nutrition information for a specific combination of food choices. Au Bon Pain has also reduced the sodium levels across its line of soups, and now offers 12 soups with less than 1100 mg of sodium, as well as six vegetarian options and six low fat options. Guests can make healthier choices by opting for brown rice in Au Bon Pain’s Harvest Rice Bowls, or by asking for whole grain bread in any Au Bon Pain sandwich.

About Au Bon Pain

Since its beginnings as a Boston bakery, Au Bon Pain (“the place of good bread”) has grown to more than 200 locations in the U.S. and abroad. Au Bon Pain offers consumers a wide array of delicious, nutritional menu items created under the direction of award-winning chef Thomas John. Au Bon Pain is headquartered in Boston. www.aubonpain.com

The Castle Group, Inc.

Heather Fishman, 617-227-0012 ext. 264

hfishman@thecastlegrp.com