Panera plans restaurant in North Kalispell

Plans for a sleek new Panera Bread have been submitted to the city of Kalispell.

The new fast-casual bakery would go on the north end of town, near Hobby Lobby and the likely future site of REI and Harbor Freight in the quickly developing Spring Prairie complex near the Kidsports ball fields.

Plans and external architectural renderings have been submitted to and are being reviewed by the Kalispell Architectural Review Committee, but deliberation is still in the early stages.

Headquartered out of suburban St. Louis, Panera Bread Company serves soup, salads, sandwiches and specialty drinks. It’s quite common in urban centers, and there are over 2,000 locations nationwide, according to the company’s website.

In early 2017, Panera Bread Company, then publicly traded, was acquired by JAB Holding Company, a privately held German conglomerate with headquarters in Luxembourg. In late 2017, the rapidly growing company acquired Au Bon Pain, another fast-casual bakery popular in urban centers.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 and pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.