Panera profit rises, Goldman Sachs investment banker to be CFO

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Panera Bread Co posted a higher quarterly profit on Tuesday, helped by higher sales at its restaurants and lower costs.

Panera, one of the top-performing U.S. restaurant chains, also said that Roger Matthews is set to become its chief financial officer as of March 18. Matthews was most recently managing director and sector head of the U.S. restaurant industry in the investment banking unit at Goldman Sachs.

Panera's profit jumped to $51.6 million, or $1.75 per share, in the fourth quarter that ended on Dec. 25, from $38.6 million, or $1.31 per share, a year earlier.