Something caught my attention the other day when I was in the local Au Bon Pain Café in Bangkok!

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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.