Ron Shaich built two unicorns in the food industry – Panera and Au Bon Pain. His life and new book, Know What Matters, offers 7 lessons that can help entrepreneurs develop their own lean unicorns.
#1. Start with Passion.
Entrepreneurs need passion because passion fosters persistence. Shaich found his in the fast-casual food industry. His first job was in the cookie industry and his first venture was a Boston cookie shop that he started in 1981 when he was 28 years old. When he realized that few people buy cookies before noon, he pivoted and became a licensee of Au Bon Pain, a 3-store French