Thousand Oaks, California – Panera Bread, the nation's leading bakery-cafe concept,
has chosen Thousand Oaks, CA for its newest location. The new bakery-cafe will open this Monday, July 9th at 205 N. Moorpark Road at The Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks. A by-invitation-only VIP & Ribbon Cutting will be held on Wednesday, July 11th.
First Picks Bread Company LLC, the franchise group awarded the new territory is led by NFL Veteran and former USC All American, Keyshawn Johnson. Johnson and
First Picks Management Team – a joint venture partnership with principals Clarence
Mah, Glenn Mah and Ingrid Roberts. The group plans to open 12 Panera Bakery
café's over the next few years in this burgeoning region - which includes Ventura
County, Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County. For more on First Picks
Management, visit (www.firstpicksmgmt.com).
The skilled artisan bread bakers at the Panera Bread bakery-cafe in Thousand Oaks will bring customers 16 different varieties of hand crafted, freshly baked bread each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. These specialty breads serve as the foundation for the entire bakery-cafe menu - including made-to-order sandwiches, tossed-to-order salads specialty soup served in bread bowls and a savory hand made Crispani product served after 4pm
daily. The products are complemented by a variety of barrista style beverages and
libations. In addition, Panera Bread offers a variety of fresh bagels, pastries, sweets and a selection of hot and cold beverages. The café has partnered with Manna Food Bank, the largest food bank in the Ventura County and Conejo Valley region. The partnership will provide food and monetary donations to deserving community outreach programs.
Keyshawn Johnson, majority owner of the new bakery-cafe. "We are thrilled to
introduce Panera to Thousand Oaks and Conjeo Valley residents our artisan bread
making tradition and the warm, welcoming environment of the Panera Bread bakerycafe." Continues Johnson, "I am truly excited to have an opportunity to be involved with one of the finest brands in the casual dining segment of the restaurant industry. My partners and I are thrilled to expand Panera in my home state of California, and we are eager to continue our philosophy of contributing to the economic vitality of one of the country's most beautiful and viable regions. Panera is savory comfort food, served in a relaxed and casual atmosphere with exceptional detail to ingredients, preparation and customer service. I am proud to be a franchisee of Panera Bread."
Panera Bread bakery-cafes, defined by special features like real china, overstuffed chairs and cozy conversation areas, have set the standard in the popular and growing specialty foods market segment. The Thousand Oaks location boasts a beautiful outdoor gathering place and beautifully tiled fireplace for outdoor dining. In addition, free wireless fidelity (WIFI) internet access will be offered in the bakery-café for patrons and guests.
The new Panera Bread bakery-cafe will create approximately 100 new jobs for area
residents. Available positions include managers, shift leaders, bakers, sandwich makers, food preps, cashiers, and servers. For information regarding employment at the new Panera Bread, contact General Manager, Curtis Poindexter at (805) 496-BAKE or curtis.poindexter@panerabread.com.
Panera owns and franchises bakery-cafes under the Panera Bread and Saint Louis Bread Co. names. The company is the leader in the emerging specialty bread/café category due to its unique bread combined with a quick, casual dining experience. As released in the 2006 earnings statement, Panera Bread currently operates more than 1100 bakery-cafes in over 38 states, Panera Bread trades on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol PNRA. Panera reported revenue of $828 million in 2006 (www.panerabread.com).