Panera finally opens…after six years

HUNTLEY — Sept. 26 marked a momentous occasion in the village as a project that has been considered a long-running joke among community members, finally had its grand opening after six years in the making.

In a July 2022 Village Board meeting, Hamra Enterprises, a nationwide, family-owned, restaurant operator headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, came before trustees to present new final Planned Unit Development (PUD) plans for the construction of a 3,500 squarefoot Panera Bread restaurant to be located on 1.87 acres of Outlot 5 of the Huntley Grove Commercial Subdivision.

The design of the current Panera Bread structure came after final PUD plans for a 7,500 square-foot multi-tenant building with an attached 4,200 square-foot Panera restaurant expired since no further action was taken on those plans once approved by the Village Board back in 2017.

Now after six years and delays that began with the pandemic, Huntley’s Panera Bread café (12032 Route 47), is the second Panera restaurant in the region to open this month, coming on the heels of a Panera grand opening in McHenry that occurred on Sept. 18, according to Hamra Enterprises representatives.

“We are proud to finally be an active part of the Huntley community, and we promise that it was worth the wait,” said CEO of Hamra Enterprises, Mike Hamra, in a press release statement. “We appreciate the patience and support of community residents, and we look forward to welcoming guests to our newest Panera Bread location.”

As “gifts of appreciation” to commemorate the grand opening, starting at 6 a.m., the first 10 cars at the drive-thru and the first 30 dine-in customers at Huntley’s Panera restaurant were given a “Free Bread-for-a-Year” certificate with any purchase.

Additionally, for the first three days after the grand opening, any guest who orders from the restaurant’s You Pick Two menu will receive a free large drink coupon for their next visit.

“The Huntley location is the 91st Panera location for Hamra Enterprises, which now owns and operates 196 restaurants nationwide under the Panera, Wendy’s, Noodles and Company, and Caribou Coffee brands,” stated Hamra Enterprises representatives. “This is their 37th Panera Bread café in the greater Chicago area, in addition to 26 Wendy’s locations.”

Residents who attended the grand opening celebration were greeted by Panera team members who took the many jokes regarding the restaurant’s six-year-old “coming soon” sign in stride.

Employees wore opening day t-shirts with phrases like “finally open, six years later,” “it’s scone to be a lot of fun,” and “because it kneaded attention.”

The new Panera location features free Wi-Fi with the ability to accommodate 60 guests indoors and 44 outside. Guests will now have the option of ordering via three kiosks and can order their Panera favorites via drive-thru, Rapid Pick-Up, and delivery on the Panera app.

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