St. Louis Bread Co. to relocate to Belleville Crossing
Panera Bread officials confirmed Wednesday it will close its St. Louis Bread Co. location in downtown Belleville and relocate to its new Belleville Crossing location.
“Panera Bread has been proud to be a part of the Belleville community for more than a decade,” the company said in a statement. “On Dec. 6, we are relocating our Main Street bakery-cafe to 5801 Belleville Crossing to better serve our guests in a larger space with additional parking, a drive-through and an updated interior that will include Panera 2.0 features like Rapid Pick Up and kiosk ordering. We will provide opportunities for all Main Street associates at this new location.”
The downtown St. Louis Bread Co. is located at 113 E. Main St.
Mayor Mark Eckert said he talked to the building owner, Edwardsville attorney Randy Gori, on Wednesday about businesses asking about the vacancy.
“There are several leads being pursued for possible new tenants,” Eckert said. “There’s definitely interest in the building for bringing something back.”
Eckert, whose office received an inquiry about the site on Wednesday, said Gori hopes to make an announcement soon about a new tenant.
Gori could not be reached for further comment.
There are no new or pending business licenses for the downtown location, according to the city Economic Development, Planning and Zoning Department.
Wendy Pfeil, executive director of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, said as of Wednesday she had not heard of any plans for another business to take the restaurant’s place at the downtown location.
The Belleville Crossing location is scheduled to open on Dec. 4, the company said in an email to the BND.
BND reporter Mike Koziatek contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 30, 2016 at 12:47 PM with the headline "St. Louis Bread Co. to relocate to Belleville Crossing."