Something caught my attention the other day when I was in the local Au Bon Pain Café in Bangkok!
This bakery and Café chain originated in America and was known to be on the cutting edge since its beginnings. The company bought a few Cruvinet Wine Preserving Machines in the early eighties for new stores they opened in Houston and Dallas. Now they are a leading the pack once again by banning trans fats in their products. In 2005 a few key employees bought 75% of Au Bon Pain and have now expanded the company to over 250 outlets worldwide. The chocolate croissant is particularly good as well as many other sandwiches and bakery goods.
Special Note: I took this photo for the header today and while I was doing so, an employee rushed out to tell me I could not take any photos. It seems that businesses are ultra-sensitive about photos being taken of their premises these days, especially in America, but I hardly gave it a thought in Bangkok. This is why I am being forced to depend on the Internet for photos as it is becoming increasingly difficult to take shots, especially inside a restaurant. I was taking this particular picture from the public sidewalk outside their property. The odd thing is, that this piece as well as most others I write, are promoting these businesses and I am being treated worse than a dog for my trouble.
