After a decade. the Panera Bread in Newton Centre will be serving its last customer next Tuesday (Dec. 15). The lease on the its Centre Street restaurant is ending and given the tough sales environment it will not be renewing.
The Panera on Highland Ave. in Needham staying open.
Very sad to hear this unfortunate news. Many Newton politicians held court at Panera Bread in Newton Centre.
it was a great location for meetings.
At this rate the only stores available will be “amazon experience” stores or “amazon returns” store
Back in the olden days (February) I used to use that Panera for meetings, as well. Things are going to look very different on the other side of COVID-19.
Yikes. That would be a big hole to fill even in normal times, which these definitely are not. I wish someone would open a Pain Quotidien franchise there. Now, that’s a bakery-café worth having in the neighborhood. I don’t know why they haven’t expanded into the Boston area. Failing that, maybe Sycamore will consider planting a third outpost on the block, after the pizza place is up and running.
Pleeeeaaaase, not anoither bank!
A top-notch Jewish Deli like 3G’s in Delray Beach would do very well there.
Sad that private businesses –a big franchise-can’t pay it’s rent. Sadder that in communities other than Newton, across the nation–individuals–fellow humans–can’t pay their rent or mortgages. Maybe that should be regular news as well.
Great to think local(about your Panera) when you have that privilege but how about the millions in deep dung right now.
Major love and major props to an independent place like Bill’s Pizzeria.
In a neighborhood where eateries come and go all too rapidly, they’ve managed to keep the doors open for a staggering 45 years.
Eat local!
Support small restaurants!
Go Bill’s!
I know Thanksgiving is in the past, but Mindfulness’ moving post should reminds us to all be thankful for Newton’s prodigious community of Social Justice Warriors.
Though I also had small meetings at Panera, I never thought much of either the food or the coffee. I also miss Central, a great improvement for one-on-ones over Peet’s (less dingy!), with coffee about as good.
It sounds as if most of us will not be receiving Covid vaccines until the late spring or summer at the earliest, meaning that meeting friends or associates for chats in public will be off the table for quite a while. The latest sampling of waste at Deer Island revealed that the virus is increasing exponentially! We all ought to lie low for now insofar as that is possible.
Thankfully, the trend of insipid bank branches on every corner seems to have finally been vanquished by pandemic-era mobile banking. There are quite a few candidates for imminent closure in Newton, led by the Webster Bank in the old Academy Cinemas/Pier 1 Imports/Citibank space (following Webster’s disastrous BDL-to-BOS expansion strategy coupled with overall weak demand for branch services).
https://www.americanbanker.com/news/webster-financial-to-trim-branch-network-by-17
I will miss Panera, but it appears until COVID is gone we will see more of this in the food industry, which will likely have to sprout up anew with new players once it is time. Painful to be in the middle of it, especially from the standpoint of the businesses.
BTW, it appears the “insipid” bank branches have been vanquished so thoroughly on my side of town that we have (checks count) ZERO bank branches in Newton Corner. So, careful what you wish for there. Any bank wishing to plant a real branch in the neighborhood (since Citizens left), I would consider giving my business to.
Gee, I remember how much fun those hearings were, the neighborhood hiring an attorney to lie for them, he actually compared Panera to McDonalds. Then, and I quote, “ It will be the end of Western Civilization as we know it” and of course, the neighbors who had lived there for 30 years, complained about the yeast odor that would be produced from baking fresh bread, and then denied the existence of Lederman’s Bakery that had been in the same block for decades. Sitting there, trying to separate the lies from my experience. It prepared me for Trump. Panera bread was sold back in 2017 to JAB holdings, a large holding company. There is no longer any local connection. Mindfulness is absolutely correct, and we should be kinder to each other, and to the people who need our help
Maybe if Newton Centre-ites promise to be really, really good, Santa will drop a grocery store into the empty space, right near where Sage’s was a million years ago.
I’ve eaten there a few times, but can’t say I will miss it. Tatte!!! This is your chance! Please come!
@Irene: Tatte is owned by Panera, so I doubt it.
I had almost forgotten Lederman’s Bakery and Sage’s Grocery. Mrs. Lederman was a gem.