Business

Panera Bread coming to Marietta

MARIETTA -- Panera Bread Cafe will be coming to Marietta.

The restaurant will be built near the Microtel Inn and Hampton Inn on Pike Street, said Steve Kaiser, vice president and chief operating officer of Christy & Associates, which owns the land.

"It'll be adjacent to the Bob Evans restaurant," he said.

Christy & Associates, a Marietta-based developer, is still talking to construction companies, but Kaiser said construction of the structure should start in the next 60 to 90 days.

"Our goal is to get it open by the end of the year," he said.

Local Panera Bread Cafes are owned and operated by Pan America, which is part of the Flynn Restaurant Group, a large restaurant franchiser in the U.S.

They also own many Applebee's, Taco Bell and Arby's restaurants.

Panera Bread offers a variety of items, including sandwiches, salads and soups, as well as bakery items such as croissants, cinnamon rolls, cookies, scones and muffins.

Kaiser said the land has been advertised for sale for several years, and was formerly the America's Best Value Inn.

"About 10 years ago, we left it open for the purpose of getting a restaurant," he added.

"We've been working with Panera to land this site for about three years."

Kaiser was unsure how many jobs will be available once the shop opens.

When the building is finished, there will be two additional retail spaces available to other tenants at approximately 1,200 square feet each.

Representatives from the Flynn Restaurant Group were unavailable for comment.