Everything That’s Vegan at Au Bon Pain: Bagels, Wraps & More

Americans eat more than 300 million sandwiches every day, a significant amount when you consider that the United States population is approximately 330 million. But what do you need to craft the perfect sandwich? Well first, it's all about the bread. And American fast-casual chain Au Bon Pain understands what it takes to build a delicious sandwich, translating to "from good bread."

Au Bon Pain (which means "From Good Bread" in French) currently operates about 171 locations across 19 states (with a few outposts scattered across Thailand), delivering hungry customers tasty dairy-free bread. From bagels to Ciabatta, Au Bon Pain's impressive bread selection provides American customers with easy access to high-quality, vegan-friendly bread for an affordable price!

But that's not all. Au Bon Pain is truly a one-stop shop. The menu features gourmet bread, bagels, pastries, and sandwiches for an affordable price. For those shoppers on the go, pick up your favorite espresso drink or a drip coffee to help start your day.

Now, nearly half of Americans describe themselves as flexitarians, according to a research poll by Sprouts Farmers Market. With a plant-curious America, Au Bon Pain is establishing itself as a safe haven for meat and dairy-free customers. So, when you're hungry in a rush, grab a Meditteranean Wrap from Au Bon Pain. But don't forget to grab your favorite bread for sandwiches all week.

Similar to other fast-casual chains, Au Bon Pain notes that cross-contamination is possible as the kitchen appliances are used for menu items with dairy or meat ingredients.

Au Bon Pain also offers several smaller snacks. Customers stopping by for a quick coffee or a loaf of bread can also purchase one of these plant-based snacks!

Instead of buying bagels from the grocery store, you can pick up your favorite baker's dozen from Au Bon Pain. However, the chain does not offer any plant-based spreads. So, bring these bagels home to apply your favorite vegan cream cheese or an avocado spread.

Au Bon Pain's fresh-baked bread gives customers a chance to craft their favorite sandwiches at home. No matter your bread preference, there's something for everyone and every type of sandwich.

Texas-based Ampex Brands, a franchisee of Yum! Brands, acquired Au Bon Pain with an agreement that includes approximately $60 million in assets, according to The Wall Street Journal. The deal will give Ampex control of Au Bon Pain’s 171 locations as well as allow the franchising rights to an additional 131 stores.

Ampex oversees other Yum! Brands fast food chains include KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's, 7-Eleven, and Pizza Hut. The brand intends to accelerate the fast-casual bakery's product development and national expansion in the coming years.

“We see a solid future for both Au Bon Pain and our broader portfolio,” Tabbassum Mumtaz, Ampex Brands CEO, said in a statement. “Our [quick-service restaurant] brands performed extraordinarily well throughout the pandemic as guests moved to drive-thru. That performance allowed us to diversify and jump on a great opportunity to reposition a legacy brand. The bakery café category will rebound, and Au Bon Pain is well-positioned to grow.”

In recent years, major chains including Burger King, Prêt A Manger, and Starbucks have introduced vegan-friendly items as the demand for sustainable options continues to increase, especially among younger consumers. One survey suggests that 87.5 percent of Gen Z is worried about the environment, and as the climate crisis worsens, more consumers are gauging sustainability when making purchases.

Vegan fast food saved the lives of over 630,000 animals in 2021 as meatless options become standard practice for the industry. Now, the vegan fast-food market is projected to hit $40 billion by 2028. With approximately 90 percent of plant-based meat purchases coming from non-vegans, the vegan fast food market is likely to continue growing into the future.
For more plant-based fare near you, visit The Beet's Find Vegan Near Me articles. 

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.