Simon said the brutal winter weather and some operational issues – notably the typically chaotic lunchtime service that has overwhelmed some busier Panera locations – have slowed growth, but he said that the creative produced by Cramer-Krasselt also failed to "move the needle."



"It was good solid work," Simon said. "What we wanted was great work."



Cramer-Krasselt, one of the largest independent agencies in the U.S., was named lead creative agency for Panera Bread in May 2012, heralded at the time as a big win for the Chicago advertising community. Panera had conducted an agency review after deciding to part ways with Boston-based Mullen, which had worked on the account since 2005.



In the memo, Krivkovich implies that Mullen apparently found Panera Bread equally difficult to work with.



"The previous agency found that out as well," Krivkovich said. "There is a pattern. And in the end, no amount of money makes it worthwhile. Fortunately, we have always been in a position to act in situations like these if we really, really have to."



Simon said Panera is indeed "demanding," but said it was no different than most client-agency relationships.



"This is not a pattern," Simon said. "This is just a brand looking for great, breakthrough creative."



This is not the first time Cramer-Krasselt has told a client to take its business elsewhere. In 2007, the agency resigned from the CareerBuilder account, which put the business in review following a disappointing showing in a Super Bowl poll. Krivkovich said in a memo at the time "they may not be the kind of people we should do business with." Chicago-based Tribune Co., parent of the Chicago Tribune, owns 32 percent of CareerBuilder.



Panera has already reached out to several agencies to begin the search for a new advertising partner, according to Simon. He has no concerns that the memo will scare away the competition, particularly with some $94 million in annual ad spending up for grabs.



Meanwhile, Krivkovich called Panera Bread "a wonderful brand" and pledged to help their former client with the transition to a new agency. He also said he would continue to eat there.



A spokeswoman for Cramer-Krasselt declined to comment.



rchannick@tribune.com