Panera Bread One Big Leap Closer to Opening in Somers Point

For years, many have hoped and wished that the Atlantic City area would land a Panera Bread restaurant.

Now, it looks like that possibility is a little more closer to reality.

Call it a probability now, rather than just a possibility.

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Building Comes Down in Somers Point Making Way For Expected Panera Bread and Chick-Fil-A

Something has happened recently in Somers Point. On Route 9, the building for the former McNaughton's Garden Center has been torn down, and hauled away. What remains is a big empty lot.

The garden center building had been empty for quite awhile and people have been wondering if it ever was going to come down. Well, it's down!

Two Years in the Making: Panera Bread in Somers Point, New Jersey

It's hard to believe but the plans for Panera Bread and Chick-Fil-A in Somers Point go back at least two years.

It was in July of 2024 that a sign went up on the McNaughton's property that indicated the area was "the future site of Panera Bread and Chick-Fil-A."

Over the last few years, a Taco Bell has also gone up on or near the property. The area is right around the corner from the Somers Point Shoprite, and the Ocean Heights Plaza. An ACME and Target are just across Route 9. It's certainly a busy area.

We're hoping Atlantic County's first Panera Bread will be opening sometime in 2026. (And yes, the Chick-Fil-A as well.)