Grand Opening: Heath

I have been looking forward to this day for the past 4 years. On August 14, a Panera Bread opened up in Heath, OH. Finally. 

Four years ago, I moved back to Ohio so I could work with my family (among many other reasons, Catholic guilt being the primary motivator). Working with my family placed me in the Newark/Heath area. Working in outside sales, my office is my car. I don't think I am going too far off base to make this broad generalization: Outside salespeople have a special bond with Panera Bread. Having a Panera Bread in your sales territory keeps you sane. Whether it be morning, noon or night, you can find comfort in a Panera Bread. Need to hammer out a few emails before your next meeting? Need to conduct an impromptu sales presentation? Need to meet customers for lunch? Or even if you just need to unwind...having a Panera Bread is CLUTCH.

It's a known fact: I am an obsessed Panera Bread fan. Case in point, this blog. Despite my obsession, I refrained from visiting Panera on opening day. Why? For one, it's just not my cup of tea (pun intended). Grand openings equal crowds. I prefer to wait until the novelty wears off. Out of curiosity, I drove by Panera on opening day. It. Was. Packed. People were literally lined up out the door in the rain.

Another example of my poor photography. Point is this is opening day. Raining. People standing in it.

Needless to say, I am overjoyed with Covelli Enterprise's decision to expand to the Licking County market. If you look at the demographics of Panera Bread locations, they are generally placed in more densely populated cities, with higher median incomes. On paper, Heath probably looks like a risk. But anyone that spends any amount of time in Heath can understand why this Panera is going to kick butt and take names.

It will be interesting to see how this Panera withstands the test of time. The grand opening week has been steadily CROWDED. I finally broke down and had lunch there on Wednesday (8.21). It was still far too crowded for my liking. I'm sure it will die down a bit in the next couple of months. But this Panera is definitely going to be successful. I look forward to finding my favorite corner!

Where else do you think Panera needs to expand? Call me crazy, but I know Panera would do well in Zanesville. I have actually inquired about it. I'm told that the demographics don't make sense. I think they are wrong.

*My actual review of this Panera will be my next blog post. I think I need to get a couple visits in before I can form a good opinion.