Panera Bread Opens Its Doors at Napa Crossing

At a preview tasting event the day before its November 14 grand opening, Panera Bread at Napa Crossing provided a taste of what's to come.

"I'm thrilled to be here," said Dave Gwiazdon, general manager of the north Napa bakery and café. Napa locals were known to stop by when he was general manager of the Fairfield Panera Bread, Gwiazdon said, so he knows they have fans in the area.

"All of the bread we make is made fresh every single day. We don't do day-old bread," Gwiazdon said.

The bread and baked goods that are not sold that day are then donated to local food banks, Gwiazdon said. 

Accoording to the company website, St. Louis-based Panera Breads began in 1981 and operates over 1600 franchises in 44 states, as well as Ontario, Canada. 

Hours for the new Napa Panera will be Monday through Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

It's located at 1725 Trancas Street, phone (707) 252-3230.