A Panera To-Go is opening on University Place

Signage went up yesterday for a Panera To-Go outpost on University Place between 12th Street and 13th Street. (Thanks to EVG reader Laura for the photo and tip!) 

The to-go space differs from the other Panera locations, like the one that closed on Union Square East this past August. 

Panera announced the new concept last month. According to Nation's Restaurant News, these smaller café formats "lean into off-premises dining." 

The second store format is entirely new, will be 40% smaller than the average Panera café at 2,000 square feet and will be designed toward to go-customers with dedicated shelves for rapid pickup, a digital menu, tracking screen technology with detailed order statuses, and very limited seating. 

Panera To-Go joins a coming-soon Serafina Express next door... in the building that replaced the old Bowlmor Lanes (RIP 2014).

Last day for Panera Bread on Union Square

The Union Square outpost of Panera Bread is shutting down for good this afternoon at 2 (H/T EVG reader Dan!) ...

No reason was cited for this closure; signage points Panera-goers to two locations nearby on Fifth Avenue. This outpost opened here at 10 Union Square East in 2012. 

The company, based in Sunset Hills, Mo., has some 2,000 bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada. There have been reports of dozens of Panera closings nationwide in the past two years.