Howley Bread Group Opens 17th Connecticut Location With 'Baguette Cutting'

From Howley Bread Group: Howley Bread Group, LTD, a franchisee of Panera Bread, proudly celebrated the opening of its 17th Connecticut location with a “baguette cutting” ceremony and check presentation on Monday, November 21st. The café also raised $2,500 for the South Windsor Public Education Fund during a charity preview event held the Friday prior to the café’s opening.

“We are very happy to have the opportunity to open another café in Connecticut,” said Carrie Gentile, General Manager and Managing Partner. “As we move into a new community, it’s important for us to support local charities which support the town in which we do business, so we are proud to make this donation to the South Windsor Public Education Fund.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Panera to raise funds for SWPEF,” said Liza Love, Chair. “The goal of the South Windsor Public Education Fund is to enrich the academic experience for all students in South Windsor. To date, the SWPEF Committee has approved over $132,000 in grants ranging from standing desks and fidget stools, to technology and fine arts.”

South Windsor Mayor Tom Delnicki attended the event, and presented Panera Bread with a proclamation from the Town of South Windsor, which was followed by a proclamation from the State of Connecticut, delivered by town councilor Janice Snyder.

The new 4,120 square feet bakery-café located at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor officially opened on Sunday, November 20th. It has seating for 88 guests, including an outdoor patio, and a Drive Thru. It also features the new Fast Lane Kiosk which offers an enhanced guest experience for ‘to-go’ and ‘eat-in’ orders via digital ordering and payment. Fast Lane will enable to customers skip the line by entering their own order right at the kiosk. The café will be open Monday through Thursday 6:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. and Sunday 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

“We are excited to open another location in Connecticut creating 55 new jobs,” Gentile said. “We are thrilled to offer our menu of clean food options and continue to give back to the communities in which we do business.”

“Panera Bread has been a member of the South Windsor Chamber of Commerce for several years now,” said Kathy Brady, Executive Director. “We are so happy they are expanding their business into South Windsor.”

The current Connecticut locations are located in Bristol, Canton, Enfield, Farmington, Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Glastonbury, Groton, Hartford, Lisbon, Newington, Southington, Waterford, West Hartford, Wethersfield, and two in Manchester. These locations are among the 29 bakery-cafes owned and operated by leading franchisee, Howley Bread Group, LTD, based in Lincoln, RI.

Photos:

Baguette Cutting: South Windsor Mayor Tom Denicki joins Panera Bread management in its traditional “baguette cutting” ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new café at The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor.

From left to right: Kathy Brady, Executive Director South Windsor Chamber of Commerce; Christie Gresh, Regional Training Manager, Howley Bread Group; Antonio Santos, District Manager, Howley Bread Group; Carrie Gentile, General Manager South Windsor Panera Bread café; Wendy Kopp, Director of Marketing, Howley Bread Group; Tom Delnicki, Mayor of South Windsor.

Check presentation: In honor of the opening of its new South Windsor café, members from Howley Bread Group Panera Bread present a check in the amount of $2,500 to the South Windsor Public Education Fund.

From left to right: Antonio Santos, District Manager, Howley Bread Group; Wendy Kopp, Director of Marketing Howley Bread Group; Janice Snyder, South Windsor Town Council; Roy Normen, South Windsor Community Foundation; Carrie Gentile, General Manager, South Windsor Panera Bread café; Kathy Brady, Executive Director, South Windsor Chamber of Commerce.

About Howley Bread Group:

Howley Bread Group, LTD of Lincoln, Rhode Island, a franchisee of Panera Bread, owns and operates 29 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut. In 2015, Panera/Howley Bread Group's cafes donated more than $5,700,000 in food and funds to a variety of community charities, including: The Bridge Family Center in West Hartford, Connecticut; Children's Friend, Providence, Rhode Island; Connecticut Sports Foundation Against Cancer; Feeding America through local partners including Foodshare, the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center and Rhode Island Community Food Bank; B's Mobility Ride for Muscular Dystrophy and Ryan's Hope for a Cure Charitable Foundation. Additionally, gift card and food donations are made to local non-profit organizations through Panera/Howley Bread Group's donations department and End-of-Day baked goods are donated to more than 80 churches and shelters across the franchisee’s bakery-cafe network.

Image Courtesy Of Howley Bread Group