Great Harvest Bread Co. Sues Panera Over Similar Slogan

Bakery chain Great Harvest Bread Co. is suing fast casual bakery-café chain Panera Bread for a similar slogan that is a little too close for comfort.

Great Harvest received a trademark in October 2014 for the phrase "Bread. The way it ought to be," reports the Associated Press. Only eight months later in June 2015, Panera debuted an advertising campaign with the slogan "Food as it should be."

According to Great Harvest, "the Panera campaign intentionally causes confusion." Great Harvest president Eric Keshin says in a statement, "We need to protect the investment being made by our individual small business owners from being drowned out or overrun by a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign."

The suit was filed in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina. Great Harvest asked Panera to suspend any advertising and promotion using the phrase, and since then Panera has sought to trademark its "Food as it should be" slogan. Panera Bread did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Meal.