Gianaris Celebrates LIC Panera Bread Opening

Assemblymember Michael Gianaris took part in a ceremonial bread breaking with Panera Vice President of Operations Greg George.

On Monday, October 8, Assemblymember Michael Gianaris, broke bread with Greg George, Panera Bread vice president of operations, to celebrate the opening of the first of 11 bakery-cafes planned for the Queens area. Located on 35th Avenue between Steinway and 38th Street, the new Panera bakery cafe offers local residents and businesses a fast-casual restaurant with a comfortably relaxed setting and a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner choices.

Part of the popularity of Panera Bread, especially among businesses, is expected to be its Via Panera catering. Via Panera simplifies ordering group lunches. The complete Panera experience, all the way to dessert, can be skillfully packed into each easy-to-carry, compartmentalized box, designed to feed five. Every customer-selected sandwich is clearly labeled to eliminate guesswork and soups are ladled into spill-proof containers.

"Via Panera makes easy work of weekly breakfast or lunch meetings or any gathering of five or more," Neilia Bissessar, general manager of the Panera Bread store on 35th Avenue, said. "For breakfast we offer freshly baked bagels, pastries and spreads along with juice, coffee and tea. Lunch selections include popular Panera signature and cafe sandwiches, soups, salads and beverages. People love our dessert choices too, like fresh baked cookies and brownies. Customers call in advance and everything is ready for pickup or delivery, if the business is within our delivery area. And we supply the plates, spoons and forks to enjoy it all."

The Long Island City Panera is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, as well as from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, offering breakfast soufflés, hand-tossed salads, signature sandwiches, hearty soups served in edible bread bowls, a variety of artisanal breads and other specialty breads, along with bagels, pastries, baked goods and hot and cold beverages.

With its identity rooted in handcrafted, freshbaked, artisan bread, Panera Bread is committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Highlighted by antibiotic-free chicken, whole grain bread, select organic and all-natural ingredients and a menu with zero grams of added trans fat, Panera's bakery-cafe selection offers flavorful, wholesome offerings. The menu includes a wide variety of year-round favorites to complement new items introduced seasonally with the goal of creating new standards in everyday food choices.

Panera also features nutritious, all-natural, organic, whole-grain, kid friendly meals proven to please young taste buds. Panera's Crispani, a crisp flatbread pizza, provides an added dinner selection and is served after 4 p.m.

At the end of each day, all unsold breads and pastries are donated to City Harvest as Panera's way of feeding back into the community.

Long Island City's new Panera Bread joins Long Island's 15 bakery-cafes, one in Staten Island and more than 1,100 nationwide. All offer free Wi-FiInternet access and cozy conversation nooks. Another Queens bakery-cafe is slated to open in Douglaston next year.

Panera Bread serves fresh-baked, handcrafted artisan breads, sweet and savory baked goods, hand-tossed salads, wholesome soups and signature sandwiches in a distinctly warm and welcoming environment. Panera Bread is committed to using great tasting, quality ingredients in the food we offer and contributing to the neighborhoods in which our customers and employees live and work through programs like Operation Dough-Nation®. Headquartered in Richmond Heights, Missouri, Panera Bread owns and franchises 1,115 bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread® and Saint Louis Bread Co.® names as of September 25, 2007. For more information, visit panerabread.com.