Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation (Notes)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2017

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation [Abstract]

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The unaudited consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which consist of the accounts of Panera Bread Company and its wholly owned direct and indirect subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”), have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), under the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and on a basis substantially consistent with the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2016 (“fiscal 2016”). These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with such audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2016, as filed with the SEC on February 22, 2017. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Consolidated Balance Sheet data as of December 27, 2016 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP contained herein.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments and accruals) that management considers necessary for a fair statement of the Company's financial position and comprehensive income for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results for any other interim period or for the entire fiscal year ending December 26, 2017 (“fiscal 2017”).