December 19, 2007
Panera Bread brings dough to New River Valley
Panera Bread opened today in Christiansburg. It is the bread and café restaurant chain’s first New River Valley location, and it comes on the heels of two that have opened in the Roanoke Valley since July 2006.
But this new eatery, at 2610 N. Franklin St., sports a feature that other Virginia Panera Breads may not have. It has a drive-through.
Rick Postle, owner of Blue Ridge Bread, a franchise group that owns Panera Breads in other parts of Virginia, said he expects to open more locations for the restaurant in the New River Valley and possibly, in other parts of Southwest Virginia. Blue Ridge Bread owns the Panera Breads in the Roanoke Valley.
He said other new Panera Breads may have drive-throughs, but the feature is more feasible at restaurant locations with stand-alone buildings.
Panera Bread is based in Missouri, and it has 1,137 locations nationwide under the Panera Bread or Saint Louis Bread Co. name.
The photo was taken by Roanoke Times photographer, Stephanie Klein-Davis, at a Roanoke area Panera Bread.
Comments
[December 20, 2007 5:52 PM]
KristinI was so excited that panera was finally opening. It would give me another option to have lunch and do some studying. Since they have opened, I have visited already 3 times to have coffee, lunch, dinner. Today I visited and sat at a two person table. The table was very small, and I could barely fit my purse, books, drink, and food tray on the table. When 4 person table came free I began to move over there. A manager stoped me and asked me if I could wait to move to the larger table till after the lunch rush. This was at 11:30am and so I finished my lunch at the smaller table and when 1:30 rolled around and things slowed, I moved over to the empty 4 person table so that I would have more room when I ordered some dessert. Another manager came up to the table and asked me to move again to a smaller table, even though there were 2 free tables in the area. I decided to leave. After spending over 15 dollars between lunch and dessert and having been asked twice to remain at a smaller table I was annoyed enough to try to call the 1800 number to complain. I called the store up again and spoke with the manager matt. He told me that there was no 1800 number and I would have to talk with him. I got off the phone and found the number online and complained. I can not believe my experience there. I will not be returning to support a large franchise when all the local coffee shops such as mill mountain offer free wifi, and sandwhiches, baked goods, coffee, and soup. They are not student friendly, and are more obviously concerned about the table turn around. While it is a business, it should not be to the point where it is rude to the customers.
[January 8, 2008 10:12 PM]
deanI agree, I won't return to that panera location. I don't know what they were thinking. Its way to small. Service was really horrible.
[January 9, 2008 9:39 AM]
jeffThe panera in Christiansburg was very poorly designed. I hope they learn from this one before they build the one in Blacksburg. I had a bad experience with them as well. Waiting 15mins for food and then having no place to sit did not impress me. I will go out of my way to the locations in Roanoke before I return to that one. I even emailed the company and still have yet to get a response. jeff