Panera is opening a new restaurant in Ohio next week

Photo byJoshua Resnick/Canva

A popular bakery cafe chain is celebrating the grand opening of its new location in Middleburg Heights later this month.

Last year, Panera closed the doors of its Middleburg Heights location at 18324 Bagley Rd in Middleburg Towne Square (since then, the space has been taken over by the brunch restaurant First Watch). However, later this month, Panera will return to Middleburg Heights at a new location at 18020 Bagley Rd. Per an email from the chain, the new restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday, May 15 at 6:30 AM. The first 50 dine-in customers who attend the opening will receive a free You Pick Two meal per month for a year.

In April, the restaurant chain launched its New Era menu. The revamped menu includes sandwiches like chicken bacon ranchers, ciabatta cheesesteaks, chipotle chicken avocado melts, toasted Italianos (which have Black Forest ham, soppressata, provolone, romaine lettuce, red onion, sliced pepperoncini peppers, garlic aioli, and Greek dressing), spicy buffalo chicken melts, bacon avocado melts, grilled cheese, tomato basil BLTs, turkey & cheddar sandwiches, and more.

Also on the menu are salads like southwest chicken ranch salads, strawberry poppyseed chicken salads, Fuji apple chicken salads, Caesar salads, balsamic greens with grains, and more. Customers can also get soups like Mexican street corn chowder, broccoli cheddar, homestyle chicken noodle, cream of chicken & wild rice, creamy tomato, and bistro French onion as well as mac & cheese.

The chain also offers baked goods like bagels that come in flavors such as cinnamon crunch, asiago, everything, plain, multigrain, and cinnamon swirl & raisin. Also offered at Panera are chocolate chip cookies, candy cookies, brownies, oatmeal raisin with berries cookies, kitchen sink cookies, cinnamon rolls, bear claws, pecan braids, chocolate croissants, blueberry muffins, and orange scones.

If you want something to drink, the chain offers smoothies, a selection of hot and iced coffee beverages, soft drinks, and some teas.

What likely won't be offered at the new Panera location is the chain's controversial caffeinated charged lemonade beverages, which the chain announced would be removed from its menu later this month, according to this article from CNN.

If you want to check out the new location when it opens later this month, you can find it at 18020 Bagley Rd, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130.

The new location is expected to be open 7 days a week.