St Louis Bread Co. stores now Panera Bread

If you or I changed our name, we would have a new identity, be someone else. But suppose you wanted to change your name without becoming someone else, or really changing identity. <br><br>As News on

Wednesday, January 15th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

If you or I changed our name, we would have a new identity, be someone else. But suppose you wanted to change your name without becoming someone else, or really changing identity.

As News on Six reporter Rick Wells explains, that's the dilemma for St. Louis Bread Co, now Panera Bread. Elaine Roberts: â€œI don't know why, and thereâ€™s gotta be a reason."

Yeah, why would St. Louis Bread Company, after five years in Tulsa, building up the business, outlasting the competition. Why would they up and change the name to Panera Bread. Jay Roberts: â€œI don't see the significance of it myself. I mean what the difference is."

St. Louis Bread, err, Panera is a franchise. There are hundreds of them around the country. Dr. Tom Stees and his wife Sue are owners of the 8 here in Tulsa. He says the reason for the change is legal. "They made a strong effort to copyright the name of St. Louis Bread Company, but they couldn't do it.â€ So to protect everyone's investment the company came up with Panera, which is copyrightable. Sue Stees: "Pan is a derivative of a Latin word for bread and era means time."

Panera, time for bread and time to change the name. Another plus, a chance to benefit from a new national ad campaign, featuring the name Panera Bread.

So does all the name changing bother the regular customers. Richard Fricker: "No! I've been in St. Louis Breads and Panera bread in three of four different states, it's always, good stuff."

So it's the stuff not the name then that's the best measure of business success. Cindy Alsonso: "As long as they don't change their products I'll keep coming." That would be a yes, I guess.