Panera Bread hit with two class action lawsuits over data breach

Panera class action overview:

• Who: Two new class action lawsuits have been filed against Panera Bread.
• Why: The lawsuits claim Panera Bread failed to properly secure and safeguard customers’ personal information in a recent data breach.
• Where: The Panera Bread class action lawsuits were filed in Missouri federal court.

Two new class action lawsuits have been filed against Panera Bread over a data breach that allegedly compromised the personally identifying information (PII) of millions of customers.

Plaintiffs Michael Cardin and Paige Cipriani filed the Panera class action lawsuits in Missouri federal court, alleging Panera failed to properly secure and safeguard their PII.

Panera, a popular bakery-café chain, allegedly experienced a data breach in January 2026, during which a hacker group known as ShinyHunters accessed Panera’s network and acquired files containing the PII of millions of customers, the Panera Bread lawsuits say.

The plaintiffs claim Panera failed to adequately protect the PII it collected and maintained, including names, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and account details.

Cipriani, a Washington resident, claims Panera failed to encrypt or redact sensitive data and disregarded known cybersecurity risks.

“Defendant failed to adequately protect the plaintiff’s and class members’ private information — and failed to even encrypt or redact this highly sensitive information,” the Cipriani class action lawsuit alleges.

Panera data breach puts customers at risk of identity theft, fraud, lawsuits allege

The Panera data breach lawsuits claim that despite the severity of the incident, Panera has not provided any response or notice to the affected individuals.

The lawsuits allege Panera’s negligence is particularly egregious given that the company suffered a similar data breach in March 2024. The plaintiffs claim Panera was therefore aware of the risks but failed to take the necessary steps to secure the PII.

As a result, the plaintiffs and other class members are now at an increased risk of identity theft and fraud, the Panera class action lawsuits say.

The plaintiffs are looking to represent anyone in the United States whose PII was compromised in the Panera data breach. They are suing for negligence, breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment and are seeking damages and injunctive relief, including identity theft protection services for life.

Also in January, Grubhub food delivery service was hit with a class action lawsuit for allegedly failing to protect the PII of its customers and drivers during a data breach in 2025.

What do you think of the allegations made in these Panera class action lawsuits? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Don M. Downing and Morry S. Cole of Gray, Ritter & Graham P.C.; Gerald D. Wells III and Robert J. Gray of Lynch Carpenter LLP; Maureen M. Brady of McShane & Brady LLC; and M. Anderson Berry, Gregory Haroutunian and Brook Garberding of Emery Reddy P.C.

The Panera class action lawsuits are Cardin v. Panera Brands Inc., Case No. 4:26-cv-00125 and Cipriani v. Panera Bread Company, Case No. 4:26-cv-00126, both in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

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