Panera Bread Opens New Bakery-Cafe in Palatine with Drive-Thru
With its identity rooted in handcrafted, freshly baked, artisan bread, Panera Bread is committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Highlighted by antibiotic-free chicken, whole grain bread, select organic and all-natural ingredients and a menu with zero grams added trans fat, Panera's bakery-cafe selection offers flavorful, wholesome offerings. The menu includes a variety of year-round favorites to complement seasonal items and breads baked fresh daily in each bakery-cafe by skilled bakers.
A Neighborhood Approach
The new bakery-cafe in Palatine offers a warm and welcoming environment including intimate seating areas, comfortable chairs, table service, a community table and free Wi-Fi Internet access.
"We are excited about opening a new bakery-cafe to serve the Palatine community", said Mike Hamra, President & CEO of Hamra Enterprises. "Our bakery-cafes have been embraced by many surrounding communities in Chicagoland over the past 19 years, and we look forward to sharing the Panera warmth in Palatine."
The Panera Experience
For eat-in guests, the bakery-cafe offers a warm and welcoming environment including various seating areas, comfortable chairs, free Wi-Fi Internet access, and an outdoor patio.
For those on the go, an ordering option called Rapid Pick-Up will enable customers to place an online/mobile order from their office, car, work or home - up to 2 weeks in advance - and pick up their food at a pre-determined time without waiting in line. The bakery-cafe will be equipped with a special "to go" pick-up area, featuring dedicated seating, an order-status monitor providing real-time information as orders are prepared and completed, and shelf space, all to facilitate easy pick up.
The entire Panera Bread menu will also be available to order through the bakery-cafe's drive-thru window during regular hours of operation.
Food as it should be
Panera Bread began with a simple commitment: to bake fresh bread every day in our bakery-cafes. That commitment led to others, like the early decision to remove artificial trans-fats, post calories on menu boards and invest in serving chicken raised without antibiotics. In 2014, Panera issued a comprehensive Food Policy that expressed its commitments to clean ingredients, menu transparency and having a positive impact on the food system. This included a pledge to remove artificial additives (flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and colors from artificial sources) from the food in its U.S. bakery-cafes by the end of 2016.
Day-End Dough-Nation™ & Panera Gives
Panera Bread has worked to help combat the problem of hunger for 25 years, since it began donating unsold bread and baked goods to local organizations. In 2014, Panera bakery-cafes nationally donated a retail value of approximately $100 million worth of unsold bread and baked goods to help neighbors in need through our Day-End Dough-Nation™ program. Panera also supports local charitable organizations through Panera Gives by donating a certificate or fresh bakery products.
An Active Community Partner
As part of the local community, all donations made by guests in the new Palatine bakery-cafe will benefit Make-A-Wish® Illinois, a charity that helps grant the wishes of children with life threatening medical conditions. For the past eight years, over 30 local bakery-cafes joined the community in contributing over $900,000 to Make-A-Wish® Illinois to grant 136 wishes.
About Panera Bread
Hamra Enterprises is a Panera Bread franchisee with 39 bakery-cafés in the Greater Chicago area. It is a dynamic organization owned and founded in 1975 by the Hamra family. The company's headquarters is in Springfield, Missouri and includes six companies with over 5,000 employees in five states; Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Texas. Hamra Enterprises is committed to providing the highest quality products and services within the hospitality industry, creating exceptional experiences for people and communities by engaging each of its restaurant neighborhoods through community service, fundraising, and other philanthropic partnerships such as Make-A-Wish of Illinois, Make-A-Wish of Missouri, Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. Additional information is available on hamraenterprises.com