Panera Bread Closes At Trumbull Mall After 14 Years

TRUMBULL, CT — Panera Bread's Trumbull Mall restaurant recently closed after 14 years in business, according to town officials.

Director of Economic and Community Development Rina Bakalar confirmed the closure Monday but noted it was not related to the restaurant's volume of business.

"It was a new branding direction for their cafes," Bakalar said. "They are coming out of strip malls to free-standing cafes with drive thrus."

Bakalar also noted she believed the space will be reoccupied as it is "a prime spot."

Panera Bread currently operates restaurants in a number of nearby communities, including Shelton, Monroe, Derby, Fairfield, Milford and Norwalk.

"Unfortunately, Panera Bread did close on Jan. 9," Trumbull Mall management said in a statement sent to Patch. "They had been a part of the Trumbull community since 2010, and we are certainly disappointed that they've made the decision to exit. We're optimistic, however, about the potential for the space and look forward to exploring new opportunities there after Panera has finished moving out."

Requests for comment from Panera Bread were not immediately returned.

According to Bakalar, the mall saw some closures in January, however not as many as in the first month of previous years.

"We have seen an uptick in leasing activity [at the mall] recently," Bakalar said. "The outside broker, inside broker and specialty leasing team is aggressive, which is a welcome change. Many of the new stores are regional or small businesses and/or franchises."

Nathan's Famous, a popular hot dog and fast food chain, recently took over a space previously owned by McDonald's in the mall's food court.

Bakalar also noted some other businesses have been looking into spaces at the mall, however she could not offer any further information until they had signed their leases.

"We look forward to the full opening of the Target parking garage in late spring," Bakalar said. "This has been a challenge, but the project is coming along very well and on target."

Town officials plan to present their completed study for the mall area next month, which will show "a great deal of market data, real estate research and visioning," according to Bakalar.

"We are already talking to potential investors and tenants," Bakalar said, "but once we have the full vision we will take that document to the marketplace further."

A community meeting is planned for late February, and town officials hope residents continue to engage in helping transform the area as they have thus far, Bakalar said.

"The area is both a challenge and an opportunity," Bakalar said. "We are doing all the work to position the area for transformation and investment."