--- title: "Mega Operator Becomes Franchisor By Acquiring Au Bon Pain" url: https://burnaze.com/article/9d5043f2-da11-4fae-8678-f371ad25efac source: "Franchising.com" original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/mega_operator_becomes_franchisor_by_acquiring_au_bon_pain.html author: "Multi-Unit Franchisee" category: "Bakery & breakfast" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Bakery & breakfast" topics: ["Finance & M&A"] published: 2021-07-08T07:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T22:33:36.060Z image: https://imgs.franchising.com/art/articles/6104_plate.jpg --- # Mega Operator Becomes Franchisor By Acquiring Au Bon Pain **TL;DR:** Ampex Brands acquires Au Bon Pain, becoming a franchisor and increasing its annual revenue by 10% with the addition of 302 locations. The acquisition includes 171 Au Bon Pain locations and the franchising rights to another 131 locations. *By Multi-Unit Franchisee, originally published in Franchising.com on 2021-07-08. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/mega_operator_becomes_franchisor_by_acquiring_au_bon_pain.html).* ## Story - Mergers and Acquisitions : Multi-brand operator Ampex Brands LLC, has joined the ranks of franchisors following its purchase of Au Bon Pain from ABP Corporation, a Panera bread subsidiary. The 16-year-old Ampex Brands operates more than 400 QSR and fast-food restaurants and convenience stores, including Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, and 7-Eleven stores. Terms of the sale call for Ampex Brands to get all 171 Au Bon Pain locations and the franchising rights to another 131 locations. The deal is expected to increase the company’s annual revenue by 10%. “We see a solid future for both Au Bon Pain and our broader portfolio,” said Ampex CEO Tabbassum Mumtaz. “Our QSR 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.” Ampex plans to ramp up Au Bon Pain’s existing cafes in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic areas before kicking off expansion efforts with corporate-owned locations. - Get Started in Franchising - Franchise Rankings & Awards - Franchise Sales & Development - Featured Franchise Stories Franchising.com is produced by Franchise Update Media. Franchise Update Media has its finger on the pulse of franchising with unrivalled audience intelligence and market driven data. No media company understands the franchise landscape deeper than Franchise Update Media. 1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 300A Washington, DC 20005 PH. (408) 402-5681 - Franchisee Financing & Lending - Site Selection & Real Estate - Supply Chain & Procurement - Annual Franchise Development Report - Multi-Unit Franchising Conference - Franchise Growth & Marketing Conference - Franchise Leadership & Development Conference - Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine - Franchise Update Magazine - Franchise Update Franchisor Report - Franchising Express Report - International Franchise Report - Multi-Unit Franchisee Report The multi-unit franchise opportunities listed above are not related to or endorsed by Multi-Unit Franchisee or Franchise Update Media Group. We are not engaged in, supporting, or endorsing any specific franchise, business opportunity, company or individual. No statement in this site is to be construed as a recommendation. We encourage prospective franchise buyers to perform extensive due diligence when considering a franchise opportunity. ## Entities - Franchising.com (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - Taco Bell (company) - acquisition (topic) - Pizza Hut (company) - KFC (company) - Multi-Unit Franchisee (person) - revenue growth (topic) - expansion (topic) - 7-Eleven (company) - Panera Bread (company) - Long John Silver's (company) --- Originally reported by Multi-Unit Franchisee, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/mega_operator_becomes_franchisor_by_acquiring_au_bon_pain.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/9d5043f2-da11-4fae-8678-f371ad25efac).