Panera request sparks varied reactions

In early November, an Ohio University student created a Facebook group aimed at bringing a Panera Bread Café to Athens. Since then, local business owners and fellow students have posted their opinions on the page, creating anxiety in some and excitement in others.

Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 18, an array of hungry college students entered Brenen's Café and hastily purchased steaming coffee and/or a sandwich or bagel. Some slouched at a table and some hurried out the door. The owner of Brenen's Café, Josh Thomas, does not want to see these customers disappear.

"If a Panera opens on Court Street, I might as well close," Thomas said in a recent interview. "It would devastate local businesses." He and his wife, Jessica, have owned the small café since 2000, and are not thrilled about the prospect of a Panera moving onto Court Street, even if no such move has been announced.

A spokesperson for the restaurant chain said that while company officials have considered Athens for an outlet, they haven't gone any further than that.

Bagel Street Deli manager Lori Linnevers said her store got even more business than usual immediately after a larger chain restaurant (Chipotle) moved in nearby. On its first day, Chipotle offered free burritos to customers, which resulted in lengthy lines.

"People would be waiting in the long lines for places like Chipotle or Jimmy John's (when the latter had a low-cost sandwich day) and get impatient and head over here," Linnevers said.

In an everyday sense, though, Linnevers said that while a Panera Bread outlet might bite into the deli's business to some extent, the locally owned restaurant has a strong and loyal customer base. "It may hurt for a little while, but these people will still come back to us," she said.

She added that she doubts Court Street would be an ideal location for a corporate business like Panera due to parking issues, and the fact that Athens is a college town with a drastic population decrease during the summer and over winter break, making it harder for them to maintain a profitable business year-round.

Panera's director of marketing and public relations, Christie Mallett, disputed that the college aspect of Athens would be a negative. She maintained that college campuses are ideal locations for businesses like her employer.

"Our number-one sales are in a college town," Mallett said. "We have the free Wi-fi. That's a big thing especially in a college town, and Panera was the first to come up with that."

Mallett also disputed the notion that Panera would steal business from uptown restaurants.

"Whether it's Panera or a different restaurant coming into town, it will always decrease in sales for other local businesses immediately," she acknowledged. "It intimidates everyone, not just a local, individually owned business. I don't think the argument that it would hurt local businesses would be an ongoing argument. It's only the first, initial response."

Thomas noted that locally owned businesses have a larger stake in the community.

"If you go over to a place like Chipotle and ask them for a donation, they will tell you the same thing. They will call their corporate office and get back to you, whereas if you walked into a local business and asked for a donation, they would say 'sure' and give you one right away," he said.

THE CREATOR OF THE Facebook group, OU freshman Aundrea Bentley, has high hopes for bringing a Panera to campus.

"I sent a message to Panera telling them to come here, but I thought that if this group gets big enough, they will realize how much money they can make and will seriously consider it. Right now it's just an idea but with help we might be able to make it reality," Bentley said.

Though many students support bringing the chain café to uptown Athens, some aren't so sure.

"The last thing that uptown Athens needs is a corporate storefront and the construction to put it in," said OU sophomore, James McAuley. "There are plenty of other similar options like Brenen's and Bagel Street Deli. Try going to the local vendors for a change. The Athens Farmers Market also has some great healthy options, and you can ride a bike there to help get yourself in shape and help the environment!"

Bentley disagreed.

"Although many people are bringing up the same point, that Panera would kill other local businesses, I feel that that isn't completely a legit complaint," Bentley said. "It definitely deserves a thought but I think that Panera would take away business from other corporates like Wendy's and Chipotle rather than the mom-and-pop shops."

Thomas urged members of the Facebook group to give local vendors another glance.

"I know I speak for the other local restaurant owners when I ask you to experience all of what Athens has to offer before you immediately long for what it may not offer," Thomas said. "I think you will be pleased."