ON HAND for the Panera Bread groundbreaking ceremony were, from left, Kerri Prescott (Priority Real Estate Group), Kevin Kelley (PREG), John Shattuck (town of Topsham), C.J. Dirago (PREG), Wes Thames (PREG), Rich Roedner (town of Topsham), Cornell Knight (town of Topsham), Jim Howard (PREG), Don Russell (town of Topsham), Don Spann (Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber), and Jay Lemont (PREG).
The property will feature a 3,860- square-foot building that will be the future home of Panera Bread, which is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo.
“We are excited to welcome Panera Bread to the Mid-coast area, and are pleased that they have decided to locate in the town of Topsham,” Jim Howard, CEO/president of Priority Real Estate Group, said in a news release. “They are a popular restaurant that will add to the diversity of our community.”
Panera Bread has 1,625 franchises across 44 states in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, including five in Maine, with Topsham becoming the sixth.
“This project will bring much needed economic development to Topsham and the surrounding communities that are most affected by the closing of the base (Brunswick Naval Air Station),” continued Howard. “Creating jobs is a priority in this economy, and we are pleased to do our part in this process.”
Panera Bread should be completed by April of 2013 when its doors will open to the public.
Priority Real Estate Group is located in the Priority Business Center at 2 Main St. in Topsham. The commercial real estate development firm specializes in build to suit, property leasing and construction management.
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