Cranston Panera Moving to Chapel View

The busy Panera Bread on New London Avenue in Cranston is moving later this year, but not very far.

The bakery-cafe is moving to the Chapel View shopping center and business center in a new first-floor space in Building 4000, which is within walking distance of the existing store.

Along with the new space and new location, the store will be just the second in Rhode Island to offer a drive-thru window. Good news for folks who don’t like standing in line inside.

“The Cranston cafe is extra special to us. It was the first one opened by our franchise and the first Panera built in the state,” said Bahjat Shariff, Vice President and Operating Partner for Panera Bread/Howley Bread Group based in Lincoln, Rhode Island. “It has been one of our more successful cafes for a long time so we are thrilled to be able to expand down the street with a newer cafe plus a Drive-Thru for our customers to enjoy.”

The Panera team is asking its Cranston customers to email their favorite memory that took place in this special cafe. First date? Second interview? Thirteenth birthday? Special community event? Send an email using the subject line “Panera Cranston Memory” to marketing@howleybread.com by Saturday, August 8th. All the emails will be entered to win “One free lunch every month for a year from Panera Bread”.