Panera Bread opened its new Upper East Side restaurant on Tuesday | Upper East Site
Panera Bread opened its new Upper East Side restaurant on Tuesday | Upper East Site

Panera Bread’s New UES Restaurant Now Open

Panera Bread triumphantly returned to the Upper East Side on Tuesday, five years after closing up shop and leaving the neighborhood, but for customers who long craved their hearty soups, sandwiches and baked treats, it was like they never left.

Panera Bread is located at 1534 Third Avenue, between East 86th and 87th Streets | Upper East Site
Panera Bread is located at 1534 Third Avenue, between East 86th and 87th Streets | Upper East Site

Upper East Site first reported the grand opening date of the highly-anticipated new restaurant from the popular fast causal chain last week, as staff training was still underway at 1534 Third Avenue, between East 86th and 87th Streets.

ALSO READ | UES Sushi Restaurant Shut Down Over Sanitary Violations Keeps Serving Customers

Inside Panera Bread's new Upper East Side restaurant | Upper East Site
Inside Panera Bread’s new Upper East Side restaurant | Upper East Site

The two-story Panera Bread is located directly next door to Chick-Fil-A, and similarly, has much of its seating for customers upstairs, which turned out to be fairly spacious and includes both tables and a bar whose seats face large windows looking out on Third Avenue.

Bar seating on the second floor of Panera Bread looks out on Third Avenue | Upper East Site
Bar seating on the second floor of Panera Bread looks out on Third Avenue | Upper East Site
The second floor of Panera Bread's new UES restaurant features seating and the bakery | Upper East Site
The second floor of Panera Bread’s new UES restaurant features seating and the bakery | Upper East Site

Seating is very limited on the ground floor, however, an elevator has been installed in the restaurant for anyone who many not be able to use the stairs — it is located in the rear, near the staircase.

The restaurant is accessible to people with disabilities thanks to a newly installed elevator | Upper East Site
The restaurant is accessible to people with disabilities thanks to a newly installed elevator | Upper East Site

The second floor also houses the restaurant’s bakery, where you can see Panera employees carefully handling the fast casual chain’s tasty dough before it gets put into a piping hot oven.

A baker was seen laying out dough to be turned into baguettes | Upper East Site
A baker was seen laying out dough to be turned into baguettes | Upper East Site

On street level, the Upper East Side’s new Panera Bread features a long counter packed with the company’s signature baked goods, as well window by order pickup that gives a look into the new restaurant’s busy open kitchen.

UES customers can see their food being prepared in Panera Bread's open kitchen | Upper East Site
UES customers can see their food being prepared in Panera Bread’s open kitchen | Upper East Site

ALSO READ | ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Films Third Season at The Mansion Diner on the UES

Panera Bread's popular baked goods are on display in the UES store | Upper East Site
Panera Bread’s popular baked goods are on display in the UES store | Upper East Site

On its opening day, Panera Bread is clearly a hit with the neighbors, who crowded the new space as they grabbed their lunch from the restaurant’s large shelf under the stairs, where pick-up orders are located.

Panera Bread's new Upper East Side location opened on Tuesday | Upper East Site
Panera Bread’s new Upper East Side location opened on Tuesday | Upper East Site

It remains to be seen whether the new Panera Bread will lead to an uptick in congestion on the block from an increase in the number of deliver workers with the electric bikes stationed in front or more traffic from double and triple parked cars waiting to pick up delivery orders on Third Avenue — which continue to be a problem nearly every single day.

For updates around the clock, follow us on InstagramTwitter and Facebook

Suggest a Correction
——
Copyright 2023 Upper East Site. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast, or redistributed.

Hulu's hit series 'Only Murders in the Building' filmed on the UES on Tuesday | Upper East Site

‘Only Murders in the Building’ Films Third Season at The Mansion Diner on the UES

Freak fire destroys Top Chef winner Buddha Lo's HUSO restaurant & Marky's Caviar | @ScooptheStoopNYC, Upper East Site

Freak Fire Destroys ‘Top Chef’ Winner’s UES Restaurant & Caviar Shop