Having grown up as the youngest of ten kids, our Head Baker Tom Gumpel enjoyed lots of quality time in the kitchen. His mom, who always seemed to be cooking, ingrained in Tom a real passion for food. He developed a lifelong love of baking, attended the Culinary Institute of America and luckily for us has pursued his dream at Panera Bread^®. He simply couldn't imagine doing anything else!

We hope you enjoy this video of Tom and our Head Chef Dan Kish talking about their inspiration.