Panera Bread held its grand opening Wednesday in the new café on Route 12 in Groton Square Shopping Center.
Tom Howley, one of four partners who own the Groton franchise, said the company had been looking at the town for about three years. He said the café in nearby Waterford does well and many customers travel from the Groton area.
“Groton has a thriving retail area, there’s a lot of traffic, and it has industry with Electric Boat and the submarine base,” he said. “Those are all things we look for.”
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The 4,975 square-foot, 110-seat bakery-café employs more than 50 people. Mayor James Streeter said that’s a positive for the town.
“We want new business,” he said.
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Groton is the 12th Panera Bread café in Connecticut.
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