Panera Bread has signed a long-term lease for its first bakery-café. The restaurant will be at street level on Main St. of State House Square, a 844,000 s/f class A office complex in the heart of the city's Central Business District.
Jones Lang LaSalle executive vice president Shawn McMahon represented State House Square ownership, a subsidiary of FBE Limited and Cammeby's International, in this long-term 4,600 s/f lease. Panera was represented by Harmon Lewis of National Commercial Brokers, Inc. The opening is scheduled for early spring.
"Our new State House Square bakery-café will be our 15th Connecticut bakery-café and our first in downtown Hartford," said Tom Howley, a partner in the Howley Bread Group, a Panera Bread franchisee serving Conn., R.I. and southeast Mass. "We are very excited to join the other great tenants at State House Square, and to become part of the growing vibrancy of Hartford's central business, retail and residential community."
According to FBE Limited vice president Dovy Fruchthandler, "We are thrilled to welcome Panera Bread to State House Square and add them to our list of quality national retail and office tenants. This is further evidence of the great momentum occurring throughout this revitalized, expanding part of the city."
Panera is joining a mix of retailers in State House Square that includes: Morton's, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Moe's Southwest Grill, Dunkin' Donuts, Surf City, and Mooyah Burger. State House Square is approximately 92% leased. There is currently only one remaining 3,000 s/f retail street retail suite, two food court suites, and 50,000 s/f of office space available.
"Panera Bread's lease provides further proof that the Hartford CBD is in the midst of a revival. Panera will attract customers from the thousands of CBD employees, the existing and growing residential base, and the expanding higher education student population from the University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, Saint Joseph's College, and Capitol Community College," said Jones Lang LaSalle's McMahon. "Panera Bread's lease also reconfirms that State House Square is Hartford's finest restaurant and banking destination."