New Panera Bread Café in Huntley is Second in Region This Month

Long-awaited grand opening slated for Sept. 26

HUNTLEY, Ill. – It has been said that good things come to those who wait, and the new Panera Bread café in Huntley, Ill., is no exception, with the grand opening scheduled for Sept. 26 – along with gifts of appreciation to the first guests for the much-anticipated event.

After an opening that was announced six years ago and delays that began with the pandemic, Hamra Enterprises, a nationwide, family-owned, restaurant operator headquartered in Springfield, Mo., is ready to open the doors of its new Panera Bread café at 12032 Route 47 in Huntley.

“We are proud to finally be an active part of the Huntley community, and we promise that it was worth the wait,” said Mike Hamra, CEO of Hamra Enterprises. “We appreciate the patience and support of community residents, and we look forward to welcoming guests to our newest Panera Bread location.”

This is the second Panera opening in as many weeks in the area, coming on the heels of a Panera grand opening in McHenry on Sept. 18. The Huntley location is the 91st Panera location for Hamra Enterprises, which now owns and operates 196 restaurants nationwide under the Panera, Wendy’s, Noodles and Company and Caribou Coffee brands. This is the 37th Panera Bread café in the greater Chicago area, in addition to 26 Wendy’s locations.

At 3,500 square feet, the new location features free Wi-Fi with the ability to accommodate 60 guests indoors and 44 outside. Guests will now have the option of ordering via three kiosks, and can order their Panera favorites via, drive thru, Rapid Pick-Up®, and delivery on the Panera app.

To celebrate the opening of the Huntley Panera Bread café, Hamra Enterprises will host a grand opening celebration on Tuesday, Sept. 26. The first 10 cars at the drive-thru and first 30 dine-in guests will receive a Free Bread-for-a-Year certificate with any purchase. For the first three days after the grand opening, any guest making a You Pick Two® purchase will receive a free large drink coupon for their next visit.

And Panera team members are even embracing the good-natured ribbing regarding the six-year-old “coming soon” sign and will be wearing opening day t-shirts with phrases like “finally open, six years later,” “it’s scone to be a lot of fun,” and “because it kneaded attention.”

About Hamra Enterprises

Hamra Enterprises is a dynamic organization owned and founded in 1975 by the Hamra family with its headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, and includes four restaurant brands with more than 7,400 employees in 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. Hamra Enterprises is committed to providing the highest quality products and services within the hospitality industry, creating exceptional experiences for people and communities by engaging each of its restaurant neighborhoods through community service, fundraising, and other philanthropic partnerships such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish of Illinois, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Since 2010, the Chicagoland Panera Bread cafes, with the support of their guests, have donated $1.2 million to Make-A-Wish of Illinois. This has made possible the granting of wishes to more than 100 Wish Families in Illinois, including McHenry County. For more information, visit hamraenterprises.com.

About Panera Bread

Panera began with a simple commitment: to bake bread fresh every day in its bakery-cafes – no shortcuts, just bakers with simple ingredients and hot ovens. Each night, any unsold bread and baked goods were shared with neighbors in need. These traditions carry on today, as the company continues to find ways to be an ally for wellness to their guests. That means crafting a menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches they are proud to feed their families.

Panera Bread is also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, Panera now offers new ways for guests to enjoy their Panera favorites – like mobile ordering and Rapid Pick Up® for to-go orders and delivery – all designed to improve the guest experience.