Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 28, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 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 29, 2015 (“fiscal 2015”). 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 29, 2015, as filed with the SEC on February 18, 2016. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Consolidated Balance Sheet data as of December 29, 2015 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 27, 2016 ("fiscal 2016"). Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year balances to conform to the fiscal 2016 presentation. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. This update simplifies accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”. This update will increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. Based on a preliminary assessment, the Company has determined that the adoption will require the Company to recognize and measure operating leases on the balance sheets of its consolidated financial statements at the beginning of the earliest period presented. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify additional impacts this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, “Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes”. This update requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The Company early adopted ASU 2015-17 during the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2016 on a retrospective basis. As a result of the retrospective adoption, the Company reclassified current deferred income tax assets of $34.5 million as of December 29, 2015 to long-term deferred income tax liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Adoption of this standard did not impact the Company's results of operations or cash flows in either the current or previous interim and annual reporting periods. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments”. This update eliminates the requirement for an acquirer in a business combination to account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Acquirers would now recognize measurement-period adjustments during the period in which they determine the amount of the adjustment. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and should be applied prospectively to adjustments for provisional amounts that occur after the effective date with early adoption permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements or related disclosures; however, it may impact the reporting of future acquisitions if and when they occur. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”. This update provides guidance on the subsequent measurement of inventory, which changes the measurement from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”. This update provides a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 delaying the effective date for adoption. The update is now effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The update permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The FASB has also issued the following standards which provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on the previously issued ASU 2014-09 and have the same effective date as the original standard: ASU 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients (Topic 606);” ASU 2016-11, “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Rescission of SEC Guidance Because of Accounting Standards Updates 2014-09 and 2014-16 Pursuant to Staff Announcements at the March 3, 2016 EITF Meeting (SEC Update);” ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing (Topic 606);” and ASU 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net).” The Company is currently evaluating the overall impact ASU 2014-09 will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements, as well as the expected timing and method of adoption. Based on a preliminary assessment, the Company has determined that the adoption will change the timing of recognition of gift card card breakage income, which is currently recognized using the remote method. The new guidance will require application of the proportional method. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify additional impacts this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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 29, 2015 (“fiscal 2015”). 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 29, 2015, as filed with the SEC on February 18, 2016. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Consolidated Balance Sheet data as of December 29, 2015 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 27, 2016 ("fiscal 2016"). Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year balances to conform to the fiscal 2016 presentation.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. This update simplifies accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”. This update will increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. Based on a preliminary assessment, the Company has determined that the adoption will require the Company to recognize and measure operating leases on the balance sheets of its consolidated financial statements at the beginning of the earliest period presented. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify additional impacts this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, “Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes”. This update requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The Company early adopted ASU 2015-17 during the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2016 on a retrospective basis. As a result of the retrospective adoption, the Company reclassified current deferred income tax assets of $34.5 million as of December 29, 2015 to long-term deferred income tax liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Adoption of this standard did not impact the Company's results of operations or cash flows in either the current or previous interim and annual reporting periods.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments”. This update eliminates the requirement for an acquirer in a business combination to account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Acquirers would now recognize measurement-period adjustments during the period in which they determine the amount of the adjustment. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and should be applied prospectively to adjustments for provisional amounts that occur after the effective date with early adoption permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements or related disclosures; however, it may impact the reporting of future acquisitions if and when they occur.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory”. This update provides guidance on the subsequent measurement of inventory, which changes the measurement from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. This update is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”. This update provides a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 delaying the effective date for adoption. The update is now effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The update permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method.

The FASB has also issued the following standards which provide additional clarification and implementation guidance on the previously issued ASU 2014-09 and have the same effective date as the original standard: ASU 2016-12, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients (Topic 606);” ASU 2016-11, “Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Rescission of SEC Guidance Because of Accounting Standards Updates 2014-09 and 2014-16 Pursuant to Staff Announcements at the March 3, 2016 EITF Meeting (SEC Update);” ASU 2016-10, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing (Topic 606);” and ASU 2016-08, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net).”

The Company is currently evaluating the overall impact ASU 2014-09 will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements, as well as the expected timing and method of adoption. Based on a preliminary assessment, the Company has determined that the adoption will change the timing of recognition of gift card card breakage income, which is currently recognized using the remote method. The new guidance will require application of the proportional method. The Company is continuing its assessment, which may identify additional impacts this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.