Case Study: Panera Bread halves scheduling time and improves labor forecasting with 7shifts

Cain Holding Group a franchise group built on core principles

Cain Holding Group is a Texas-based franchise operator founded in 2001 that runs 20 Panera Bread and multiple Slim Chickens locations. Built on a set of enduring core principles and hands-on leadership, the group faced growing operational challenges as it expanded: managers relied on Excel for scheduling, lacked a way to track labor dollars and hours accurately, and struggled to communicate quickly with a large, dispersed workforce—issues that became critical during events like hurricanes.

The team implemented 7shifts across all 20 Panera locations in one month, choosing it for its price point, ease of use, and labor-tracking features. Results included cutting store-level scheduling time from about two hours to 45 minutes weekly, accurate labor projections by role and wage, reliable mobile scheduling and shift trading, and a big improvement in staff communication through in-app messaging—helping the group scale operations while maintaining consistency and accountability.

Panera Bread

Robert Drisaldi

Chief Operating Officer