Panera Opening ‘Digital-Only’ Restaurant on East Side
New location will focus on streamlined service and meals for takeout only.
Panera Bread at 600 E. Ogden Ave. Photo taken June 19, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
Panera Bread is expanding its local presence, with plans to open a third Milwaukee restaurant in the Murray Hill neighborhood.
The new location, however, will be distinct from its predecessors. Instead of a place to linger, the upcoming restaurant will focus on rapid service and maximum convenience for busy customers, according to a news release.
Dubbed Panera To-Go, the “digital-only” model, first introduced in 2022, encompasses self-service ordering kiosks and meals packaged for takeout only. The streamlined restaurants do not offer space for dining in.
Milwaukee’s first Panera To-Go is slated to open at 1800 E. North Ave. The approximately 1,700-square-foot restaurant space is located in the southwest corner of the mixed-use Edge on North building, where The Waxwing boutique previously operated.
It’s a sensible match for the area, which serves as a crossroads for residents, workers and students from the nearby UW-Milwaukee campus.
The proposed business is still in its earliest stages, having recently applied for a series of permits to begin construction at the site. Specified changes include the creation of kitchen work areas, installation of self-service counters, new equipment and a restroom build-out.
Although the experience will differ from existing Panera locations, guests can expect the same breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites on the menu.
That includes the chain’s popular sourdough bread bowls, purportedly made with the same decades-old starter as that of Panera’s flagship restaurant.
Panera also serves a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods such as bagels, cookies, brownies, croissants and freshly made loaves.
Founded in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Co., the chain has since grown to include more than 2,183 locations across the United States and Canada. The company name was changed to Panera Bread in 1997.
JAB Holding Company owns the Panera Bread brand, as well as Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
The business has not yet filed a license application for the new location.
Amanda Johnston is the agent for both existing locations, 600 E. Ogden Ave. and 3511 S. 27th St.
A representative of the company did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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