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.

Everything That's Vegan at Au Bon Pain

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.

Burgers, Sandwiches, Wraps

• Mediterranean Wrap: A whole wheat wrap filled with hummus, fresh avocado, kalamata olives, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, romaine, field greens & lemon vinaigrette. Make sure to ask for no cheese.
• Chipotle Black Bean Burger with Avocado: Au Bon Pain's signature black bean burger topped with pickled red onions, tomatoes, and avocado served on fresh ciabatta. Make sure to ask for no cheese or chipotle Aioli.
• Caprese Sandwich: When you ask for no pesto or cheese, this sandwich features fresh tomatoes and arugula on ciabatta bread. To substitute for the mozzarella and pesto, try to add tofu and a dairy-free dressing!

Soups and Salads

• 12 Veggie Soup: This heartwarming soup is filled with diced tomatoes, potatoes, yellow zucchini, zucchini, carrots, peas, onions, broccoli, corn, celery, mushrooms, and red bell peppers.
• Barley and Creamy Lentil Soup: With 9 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, this creamy lentil soup is fantastic for your gut health. Containing hearty barley, lentils, tomatoes, and spinach, this soup is flavored with a hint of spice.
• Tuscan White Bean Soup: For a little Italian flavor, this soup contains escarole, carrots, onions, garlic, and white kidney beans served in a rich broth flavored with Italian herbs and tomatoes.
• Mediterranean Salad: This salad features a bed of romaine and field greens topped with hummus, fresh avocado, kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers & cucumber. Make sure to ask for no feta cheese.
• Side Garden Salad: Add this side salad to your entree. The salad features a bed of romaine and field greens topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots & red onion. Choose the balsamic vinaigrette.

Oatmeal and Other Snacks

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!

• Oatmeal
• Multigrain Sun Chips
• Cape Cod Reduced Fat Sweet Mesquite BBQ Chips
• Cape Cod Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips
• Cape Cod Original Potato Chips
• Fruit
• Mixed Nuts

Are Au Bon Pain Bagels Vegan?

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.

• Cinnamon Raisin
• Everything
• Plain
• Sesame Seed
• Whole Wheat Skinny

Vegan-Friendly Bread

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.

• Ciabatta
• Country White
• Rustic Baguette
• Semolina
• Multigrain
• Tortilla
• Whole Wheat Tortilla
• Everything Artisan Farmhouse Roll

Yum! Brands Acquires Au Bon Pain

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.”

Vegan Fast Food Takes Over

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.