1 As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 1996 REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-1668 ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 ------------------------- POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ------------------------- AU BON PAIN CO., INC. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 04-2723701 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) 19 FID KENNEDY AVENUE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02210 617-423-2100 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices) AU BON PAIN CO., INC. MANAGING PARTNER INCENTIVE PLAN (Full Title of the Plan) ANTHONY J. CARROLL VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AU BON PAIN CO., INC. 19 FID KENNEDY AVENUE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02210 617-423-2100 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service) ---------------------------- With copies to: WALTER D. WEKSTEIN, ESQ. GADSBY & HANNAH 125 SUMMER STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110 617-345-7000 ================================================================================ 2 PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT Item 3. Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference. Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. (the "Company") hereby incorporates by reference the documents listed in (a) through (d) below, which have previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995, and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 20, 1996, each filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (File No. 0-19253) pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"); (b) The Company's Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement for the Company's annual meeting of stockholders held on May 28, 1996, mailed to stockholders on or about April 26, 1996; (c) All other reports filed since December 31, 1995 pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and (d) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in its Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 2, 1991, under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. In addition, all documents subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 13(c), Section 14 and Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment hereto that indicates that all securities offered hereunder have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Item 4. Description of Securities. Not Applicable. Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel. Not Applicable. Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers. Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and Section 10.1 of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation permit the Company to indemnify an officer, director or employee in respect of claims made by reason of his status with the Company, including stockholder derivative suits provided he acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and, with respect to any criminal act or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. Expenses incurred in defense of such actions may be paid by the Company in advance of final disposition upon receipt of an undertaking to repay if there is an ultimate determination that he is not entitled to be indemnified. The Delaware Supreme Court has held that the directors' duty of care to a corporation and its stockholders requires the exercise of an informed business judgment. Having become informed of all material information 3 reasonably available to them, directors must generally act with requisite care in the discharge of their duties. The Delaware General Corporation Law and Section 9 of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation exonerate the Company's directors from personal liability to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty of care as a director, with certain exceptions. The exceptions include breach of the director's duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violations of law, improper declaration of dividends and transactions from which the director derived and improper personal benefit. The limitation of liability provision does not eliminate a stockholder's right to seek monetary, equitable remedies such as injunction or recision to redress an action taken by directors. However, as a practical matter, equitable remedies may not be available in all situations, and there may be instances where no effective remedy is available. The Company believes that it is the position of the Commission that insofar as the foregoing provision may be involved to disclaim liability for damages arising under the Act, the provision is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is therefore unenforceable. Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed. Not applicable. Item 8. Exhibits. The following is a complete list of exhibits filed or incorporated by reference as part of this registration statement. 4.1 Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. Managing Partner Incentive Plan.** 5.1 Opinion of Gadsby & Hannah as to the legality of the securities being registered.** 23.1 Consent of Coopers & Lybrand, L.L.P.* 23.2 Consent of Gadsby & Hannah (included in Exhibit 5.1 hereto). 24.1 Powers of Attorney*. - -------------- * Previously filed. **Filed herewith. Item 9. Undertakings. (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act; (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and 4 (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(I) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the undersigned registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. 5 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1996. AU BON PAIN CO., INC. By: /s/ ANTHONY J. CARROLL --------------------------------- Anthony J. Carroll, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated. Signature Capacity Date --------- -------- ---- Co-Chairman of the Board, Chief June 12, 1996 RONALD M. SHAICH Executive Officer and Director - ----------------------------------------------- Ronald M. Shaich (Principal Executive Officer) Co-Chairman of the Board June 12, 1996 LOUIS I. KANE and Director - ----------------------------------------------- Louis I. Kane Director - ----------------------------------------------- Francis W. Hatch * Director June 12, 1996 - ----------------------------------------------- George E. Kane Director - ----------------------------------------------- Joseph P. Shaich * Director June 12, 1996 - ----------------------------------------------- James R. McManus Director - ----------------------------------------------- Henry J. Nasella Vice President and Chief ANTHONY J. CARROLL Financial Officer (Principal June 12, 1996 - ----------------------------------------------- Anthony J. Carroll Financial and Accounting Officer) By: ANTHONY J. CARROLL - ----------------------------------------------- Attorney-in-Fact 6 EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit No. Description 4.1 Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. Managing Partner Incentive Plan.** 5.1 Opinion of Gadsby & Hannah as to the legality of the securities being registered.** 23.1 Consent of Coopers & Lybrand, L.L.P.* 23.2 Consent of Gadsby & Hannah (included in Exhibit 5.1 hereto). 24.1 Powers of Attorney.* - -------------- * Previously filed. **Filed herewith.