February 6, 2007

New bakery/café, Panera Bread, opens in Campbell

A new bakery/café recently opened in Campbell at 501 East Hamilton Ave. in the Bed, Bath & Beyond building. Panera Bread offers 16 different varieties of breads, a large number of pastries and cookies, soups, salads, made to order hot and cold sandwiches and Crispini pizzas as well as a full coffee bar with tea and sodas.

The staff at the new Panera Bread location line up amidst the pastries and breads. From the left are Kimberly Grossman, Osvaldo Romero, Fredy Colin, Julieta Sosa, Jacob Castiglioni, Isabel Velazco, Wallace Washington and Claudia Gomez.

All of the breads and pastries are made at the location by bakers working from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Each location also has a non-profit partner that picks up the leftover bread and pastries every day after closing. Panera does not sell day old bread or pastries. Last year, the company donated more than $12 million in bread products to non-profit charities.

All of the Panera bakery/cafés also partner with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, with boxes displayed for cash donations, which are matched 100 percent by the company. In addition, each location offers free WiFi. In fact, spokeswoman Flora Castro said people just need their laptops to use it. “They should sit down and relax. We offer the largest free WiFi in the country,” she said.

The company was founded in 1981 and has 939 bakery/café’s in 37 states of which 602 are franchise locations. The company’s mission is “A loaf of bread in every arm,” according to the Web site.

Panera’s extensive menu includes artisan breads as well as pastries such as sweet rolls, brownies, cookies, mini bundt cakes, muffins and scones; breakfast pastries including baked egg soufflés and bagels and spreads; a full line of sandwiches including hot paninis; up to six different soups per day—including soups in bread bowls; and hand tossed salads. After 4 p.m. patrons can purchase Crispini, a made-to-order crisp pizza that comes with six different toppings.

Bakery/café manager Paul Salazar, has been with Panera since October but has a long career in food service. A graduate of the Culinary Academy in San Francisco, he’s been a professional chef for 27 years operating from various restaurants in the area. He lives in Willow Glen with his wife Suzanne Wilson.

The Campbell location is at 501 East Hamilton Ave., phone (408) 370-7840. It’s open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

—By Carol Rosen