City officials in Deerfield,IL have received a request from the owners of Panera in their city to move their franchise closer to business apartments at the Deerbrook Shopping Center. The local Deerfield owner,Chicago Bread Co.,first opened the store in 1998 and has decided to move on to bigger and brighter things at the Deerbrook Shopping Center,centrally located among short term rentals and corporate housing.

Vice President Randall Allen says the move to the shopping center should show the Deerfield community just how committed Panera is to the local area and the residents that inhabit it. Officials have prepared documents that say the new facility would be about 1,000 feet south on Waukegan Road from the current Panera. The new restaurant plans to include 101 seats inside and 22 outside a 4,470-square-foot building at 385 Lake Cook Road. Officials say there will be about 50 or 60 employees and that they’ll offer many of the same items and services as Panera restaurants nationwide.

Developers are already looking for ways to get more people to move to the area,and because of new shops like Panera opening up,temporary housing in the area has seen a much-needed boost in occupancy. As officials look into unique ways to get people to move there,more and more stores are adding Deerbrook Shopping Center locations. Some of those businesses include Art Van Furniture,City Barbeque,The Dump,Hobby Lobby,Jewel-Osco and Stein Mart.

Panera,a fast-casual chain started in 1987 in the Show Me State,Missouri. Since then,the sandwich/soup/salad eatery has blossomed,opening more than 2,000 stores around the world. Before WiFi became so popular in restaurants,bars and coffee shops around the country,Panera use to be able to boast that it was the number one provider of Wifi hotspots in the country.