Panera, Chipotle look at January openings

Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread plan to open in January, according the general contractor.

Chris Palmese, executive supervisor for Frontier Building Corp. out of Miami, said Tuesday that Panera Bread should open by the end of January and Chipotle will open a couple of weeks earlier if all of the final permits go through.

Palmese said Panera Bread and Chipotle are slated to take possession of the building off Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard in the parking lot in front of Books-A-Million, close to the U.S. 70 interchange, on Jan. 13 and then spend about a week training employees.

Usually they open on a Tuesday, Palmese said. So it will probably be Jan. 20 or the 27.

The exterior of the buildingis completed and includes a drive-through for Panera Bread. Workers are now fitting out the interior, Palmese said.

Heating and air and plumbing contractors were installing equipment inside the building that will house both restaurants Tuesday.

The signs for Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill should be going up on the building by the end of next week, Palmese said.

Kevin Robinson, New Bern city planner, said in April that building plans showed Panera Bread will be 4,300 square feet and Chipotle will be 2,300 square feet.

Palmese said Chipotle will have a seating capacity of 77 and Panera Bread will seat up to 169.

Panera Bread, headquartered in Sunset Hills, Missouri, is a chain of bakery-cafe restaurants in the United States and Canada that specializes in sandwiches, bagels, muffins, pasta, soups, panini sandwiches, salads and artisan breads.

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Panera, Chipotle look at January openings