It's lunch time, and I have just made the drive from Hanover to West Lebanon, N.H., to check out the latest culinary addition to the Upper Valley. It appears I am not the only one -- the new-age cafe atmosphere of Panera Bread is buzzing with activity, and almost immediately I spot a few familiar Dartmouth students.
West Lebanon is now home to one of the over-500 installments nationwide of Panera Bread, a Missouri-based chain of bakery-cafes established in 1981. The pride and main attraction of Panera is the high-quality breads baked fresh daily at each location. Bread is the staple around which Panera centers its menu, which includes breakfast, lunch, and (quasi-)dinner items. It even styles itself "the nation's 'bread expert.'''
Free of the tight local control over real estate and business that characterizes Hanover, West Leb is no stranger to large restaurant chains. As a fanatical gourmand of Taco Bell, I often make trips there to satisfy that unique fast-food craving. But it is clear upon entrance that Panera Bread is no T-Bell or BK.
Painted in subdued orange and yellow tones, furnished with sleek cherry oak, and lit by colorful, whimsical fixtures, Panera resembles other trendy higher-end chains such as Starbucks and Au Bon Pain in appearance. It has that same generic warmth. And although Panera probably attracts a greater range of ages (I saw many little children and elderly alike) than, say, Starbucks, there are certainly parallels in the clientele.
Assistant Manager Andy Ho described Panera's appeal as "generally upper-class."
Their most popular items are the "bacon turkey bravo" and asiago roast beef sandwiches. I ordered the frontega chicken and cannot complain. The bread was what carried the sandwich, and I don't mean just literally.
Harold Johnson '06, whom I found with his girlfriend patronizing Panera, said his food was "delicious" and the atmosphere "extremely pleasant."
The quality of a Panera dining experience notwithstanding, the constant spread of massive national and global franchises into new sectors of the food industry is a concern to many. First it was burger joints, then coffee shops, now patisseries. If mom and pop can't sell bread, what next? But Ho said that no one in the community objected during the developing stages of the West Leb location, and it appears that Panera is so far a success in the Upper Valley. According to Ho, business is excellent now that word about the new location is out.
So if DDS and the establishments in Hanover lack that chic youthful aura you desire, I recommend trying Panera in West Leb. Lunch is their busiest period, but the crowd seems to thin out around 1 p.m., just in time to make it back to your 2 or 2A.
