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06/04/2019 12:30 AMThe grand opening of Panera Bread in Guilford might not be too far away. Representatives for Panera recently came before Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) to seek signage approval for the new building.
The national restaurant chain Panera Bread was announced as the restaurant tenant at Guilford Commons off of Exit 57 in December 2018. Guilford Commons (formerly and informally known as the Rock Pile), opened in 2015. Current tenants include The Fresh Market, Ulta Beauty, Michaels Craft Store, Bed Bath & Beyond, DSW, Charming Charlie, and Petco, among others, but the addition of new tenants had slowed down in the months leading up to the Panera announcement.
Economic Development Coordinator Brian McGlone previously said that Panera would fill the restaurant space located to the left as customers enter the shopping plaza.
“Over time, Panera Bread’s name was mentioned a lot and they were early on, the owner/developer was talking about Panera ,and a lot of people got excited about the idea—and then it went cold for a while,” he said. “Now they have come back around.”
Members of the Panera team as well as representatives of the plaza came before PZC on May 15 to discuss how the signage would look on the new building and seek “a site plan revision to amend the sign plan” for the commons.
“This separate building was not included in the master signage plan,” said Wendy Regan of Mandeville Signs.
Regan said the Panera name would be added to the sign tower located on the commons as well as the entrance to the commons. She said the front of the restaurant, once completed, would face the access drive into the commons and not directly out on to Boston Post Road. Renderings of the building showed that signage at this Guilford location is the same as seen at any other Panera Bread restaurant.
“We were before Design Review Committee last week,” she said. “They had a few minor comments and some requests to change the direction of signage to eliminate some of the company logos, which we did do.”
Regan was also seeking approval for drive-through signage. The restaurant space allows for a drive-through, but it had been unclear originally if Panera Bread would have a drive-through at this location.
No official date was given for the opening of the restaurant, but officials said it would be soon. McGlone said previously that he hopes the opening of the restaurant will drive more people to the commons.
“People have asked for a restaurant up there and thought it would help to have a restaurant to go to,” he said. “In theory it is going to bring more people to the plaza and these shops should bring additional traffic to the plaza, so that is all great.”