The Only 2 States That Don't Have A Panera
For those days when you need a quick lunch, but aren't in the mood for a greasy burger and fries, there's one fast-casual restaurant chain that comes in clutch: Panera Bread. The cozy, café-esque brand has been serving house-baked goods for over 30 years, and in that time, they've covered some ground. With well over 2,000 locations in the U.S., you generally don't have to go far for a Mediterranean Veggie sandwich. That is unless you're in Hawaii or Alaska.
That's right — of all the Panera locations in the U.S., it's only the two non-contiguous states that have yet to see the restaurant chain open its doors, according to data collection website ScrapeHero. Several U.S. territories, too, are still Panera-free, including Puerto Rico and Guam.
But if you're a Panera fan living in one of the two youngest U.S. states, you haven't been left completely out in the cold. Panera now sells a number of its products in grocery stores, so Alaskans and Hawaiians missing those familiar flavors may still be able to get their mac and cheese fix.
It's all about logistics
Panera Bread comes from the very heartland of the United States: St. Louis, Missouri. In fact, the company's first name was St. Louis Bread Co. from its inception in 1987 until 1997, and some of its STL-area stores still operate as St. Louis Bread Co. today. It was in the '90s after the company was bought by Au Bon Pain — a similar bakery-café concept — that the company started to grow to national prominence, opening up new locations all around the country and eventually in Canada.
The brand's expansion, however, is yet to reach Alaska and Hawaii. The company hasn't released any kind of public explanation as to why they've yet to open in those two states, but there are several practical reasons upon which one can speculate.
In the case of Hawaii, real estate and the process of procuring necessary goods (i.e., fresh ingredients) are both known to be quite expensive compared to other U.S. states. Transporting fresh food into and across an island state is more logistically intensive than in the contiguous U.S., where interstate highways make transportation simpler. The difficulty, and thus, the added cost of addressing these challenges might be too high for Hawaiian Paneras to be profitable. Alaska is still a continental state, but its remoteness could cause similar issues with provisioning.
Soup, now simmering everywhere
Should you find yourself in Alaska or Hawaii with a wicked craving for black bean soup, however, you may not be completely out of luck. While there aren't any actual shops where you can grab your favorite Panera sandwich, the company does distribute a number of its retail products at stores in both states. You can find their soups, mac and cheese bowls, and salad dressings at major retailers like Target, Costco, Walmart, Safeway, and Sam's Club. If it's their coffee you're looking for, you can find it online from Walmart, Keurig, Quill, Amazon, or at military commissaries. If you're living in Hawaii with a Safeway nearby, you can even grab the holy grail itself: Panera-branded bread and rolls.
But sadly, that's about as close to fresh Panera goods you can get if you're living in Alaska, Hawaii, or anywhere else outside of the contiguous states. If worse comes to worst, you can always try recreating your Panera favorites at home – or, get rustic and try making some delicious sourdough yourself.