Panera Bread Drive-Thru: Grand Opening Set

JOLIET, IL — A popular national restaurant chain is ready to open its third location in the city of Joliet. The grand opening for the new Panera Bread at 2400 W. Jefferson St. will be Monday, Feb. 17. Unlike Joliet's two others, this Panera Bread will feature a drive-thru window.

Panera also announced on social media that the first 100 dine-in guests will get a "free you pick two for a year certificate."

There will also be more offers throughout the first week of business, Panera Bread promised.

Panera Bread's two other Joliet locations are at Route 59 and Caton Farm Road and inside the Louis Joliet Mall. The new Panera Bread on Joliet's West Jefferson Street fills the vacancy created when Applebee's closed in this location in 2018, but kept its Plainfield Road restaurant open.

Panera Bread's opening on Joliet's West Jefferson Street has been in the works for almost a year. In recent months, two of its potential competitors went out of business.

In November, the nearby Wild Horse Bar & Grill closed. Then, this month, the Arby's fast-food restaurant closed its doors forever.