Panera Bread To Open First Detroit Location At GM Ren Cen

DETROIT (WWJ) - Panera Bread has found its way to Detroit.

The St. Louis based bakery-café will open its first Detroit location in the Renaissance Center on Thursday, April 7.

Located on Level A of the GM Wintergarden, the new Panera location will span approximately 4,429 square feet and seat more than 70 patrons.

"Whether you're looking for a dinner, lunch or a bagel in the morning, the new bakery-cafe will be a great dining destination for the thousands of people who work in and visit the GM Ren Cen every day," Claudia Killeen, manager of Renaissance Center development for GM, said in a statement.

Featuring all the bakery-cafe menu items that Panera fans have come to know and love, the newest location will also include Panera 2.0 – a series of integrated technologies that features customized ordering, mobile payment, fast-lane kiosks for dine-in and to-go diners, advanced ordering and Rapid Pick-Up for to-go meals.

The restaurant will employ approximately 30 associates.