New Boardman Panera coming this fall

Staff report

BOARDMAN

A new Panera Bread location will open in Tiffany Square in early fall.

Warren-based Covelli Enterprises will close its original Panera location inside The Shops at Boardman Park to open the Tiffany site that will feature a new design, a drive-thru and patio.

Boardman Zoning Department approved a zoning permit for the project.

Allen Ryan, a Covelli spokesman, said The Shops at Boardman Park Panera will remain a special location to the company because it’s where it got started. The location opened in 1998. It will remain open until the new Panera is up and running.

Covelli owns more than 300 Panera locations in five states.

The new Panera will be built using a new prototype, Ryan said. Both the interior and exterior will look different in several ways from other locations.

“It’s going to have a very modern look to it,” Ryan said. “It has different types of seating.”

In 2014, Covelli opened a drive-thru Panera on Market Street, and it has been successful.

“Our customers love the drive-thru at that location, and we look forward to giving them that option at the new store,” Ryan said.