TULALIP — Panera Bread plans to open at Quil Ceda Village in a vacant lot next to Home Depot facing I-5, officials announced Thursday afternoon.
It will be the fourth location in Snohomish County for the chain, which features baked goods, sandwiches and salads.
The site is ideal because it’s close to other retailers at Quil Ceda Village and is visible for travelers, said Jayson Levich, an equity partner with Panera for the Seattle region.
“This is definitely by far our most powerful freeway location,” Levich said.
Wilcox Construction has already been doing prep work at the site. The 4,300-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through window is scheduled to open Dec. 14.
It’s the first new construction at Quil Ceda Village, a federally chartered tribal city, since the expansion of the Seattle Premium Outlet Malls, said Martin Napeahi, interim general manager for the village.
Quil Ceda Village officials been in negotiations with Panera Bread for more than a year.
“It’s important,” said Teresa Meece, marketing manager with Quil Ceda Village. “It’s fronting I-5. We’ve been wanting to get the right people here for a long time.”
Panera Bread also has locations in Everett, Lynnwood and Bothell. Another site is just south of the Snohomish-King county line in Shoreline.
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