Published on February 07, 2014

Mayor Janice S. Mironov joined Panera Bread Joint Venture Partner Larry Shinbein and General Manager Robert Curnow, along with Council Members, to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Panera Bread. The new restaurant is located on Route 130 South next to Chase Bank.

The 4,100 square foot restaurant includes a drive-thru and front patio seating available from May to October. Founded in 1993, Panera Bread is a casual bakery-café which offers several varieties of breads, bagels, muffins, cold sandwiches, hot paninis, salads and soups. The company, headquartered in Sunset Hills, Missouri, has nearly 1,700 locations throughout the United States and Canada. New Jersey locations include Hamilton and Princeton. The restaurant was named “Casual Dining Brand of the Year” by Harris Poll EquiTrend in 2012 and named to BusinessWeek's list of top 25 "Customer Service Champs" in 2010.

Mayor Mironov stated, "Panera Bread, an award-winning restaurant, is another great addition to the many successful and varied group of restaurants located in East Windsor. There has been a tremendous amount of excitement within the community since the Township announced Panera Bread would be opening a new restaurant in East Windsor, which is a testament to the restaurant’s popularity in our area and around the country.” The Mayor continued, “Panera Bread also is committed to community outreach, highlighted by its “Day-End Dough-Nation” program, which provides unsold bread and baked goods to local area hunger relief agencies and charities.” Mayor Mironov added, “Their assortment of food offerings, community-minded business model and great location on Route 130 are sure to make Panera Bread a local favorite in our community.”

General Manager Robert Curnow stated, “We are very excited to open a Panera Bread in East Windsor. Mayor Mironov has made us feel welcome and made the whole process of opening our new restaurant a pleasant one.” Mr. Curnow continued, “Over half of our employees are from East Windsor and they are really happy to have the opportunity to work for a great restaurant in their hometown.” Mr. Curnow added, “We are certain that Panera Bread will serve as a great local gathering place for area residents and look forward to seeing our customers take advantage of the outdoor patio seating once the weather turns.”

Current hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 6 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 6 am to 11 pm and Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm. For more information, visit their website at www.panerabread.com.

East Windsor Mayor Janice S. Mironov cuts the ribbon for the grand opening of Panera Bread. Pictured (from left to right) are: Council Member Perry Shapiro; Council Member John Zoller; Council Member Hector Duke; Panera Bread of West Windsor General Manager David Jensen; Panera Bread of East Windsor General Manager Robert Curnow; Mayor Janice S. Mironov; Deputy Mayor Alan Rosenberg; Panera Bread Joint Venture Partner Larry Shinbein, and Panera Bread of Princeton General Manager Mohanned Sankar.