Bay Ridge celebrates Panera Bread-breaking

Bay Ridge’s 86^th Street is heating up – just ask the bakers behind Panera Bread, the latest national retailer to sweep the strip. Famous for its fresh from the oven bread, baked goods, soups and sandwiches, Panera Bread – over 30 years old – celebrated the grand opening of its third bakery-café in Brooklyn, at 531 86^th Street, on Monday, August 4.

“We’re excited to open our newest location in Bay Ridge,” said Greg George, vice president of Operations for Doherty Enterprises, Inc., the Panera Bread franchisee for Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. George also oversees the Kings Plaza and Adams Street Panera Breads.

The Bay Ridge sandwich shop is one of just under 2,000 locations nationwide.

“We’ve been busy staffing the café with enthusiastic associates and are confident that people in the area will enjoy the better-for-you food options coupled with the convenient new to-go ordering option,” he said of the Bay Ridge locale’s premiere “rapid order” option which allows patrons to avoid the wait, placing their orders ahead of time on their smartphones.

George stood with local politicians and hungry eaters Monday morning to break bread on the new establishment.

“This is a great, great asset to the community,” said State Senator Marty Golden, alongside Councilmember Vincent Gentile, Borough President Eric Adams and President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Carlo A. Scissura.

“I’ve been to many ribbon cuttings, but I’ve never been to a bread-breaking,” lauded Gentile, calling Bay Ridge a “hot commodity.” “Now we can point to Panera Bread as proof that Bay Ridge is hot property in Brooklyn.”

Scissura agreed.

“Bay Ridge is a destination,” said Scissura, stressing that Panera Bread built its first new model store in the neighborhood. “We’ve always had mom and pop stores all around the neighborhood but now national retail chains that were once only seen in Downtown Brooklyn are popping up right here.”

The new shop, sandwiched between Modell’s Sporting Goods and Swirl Fun Frozen Yogurt, rewarded its first 250 guests with free coffee for a month.

From the Asiago Steak sandwich – packed with seared steak, smoked cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and horseradish – to the Mediterranean Chicken flatbread – full of all-natural chicken, curried lentil hummus, feta, cucumber and napa cabbage – and the famous bread bowl, Panera Bread promises to please just about any palette.

“We’re just happy to be here,” said George.

The Bay Ridge Panera Bread will serve its signature breakfasts bagels and pastries from 6:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. through 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Panini, sandwiches, pastas and soups are available until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The café will close two hours early on Sundays.