Panera Opening in Lutz in November

Fans of Panera Bread not longer have to battle traffic in and near The Shops at Wiregrass to grab a bite to eat.

A retail plaza under construction nearby at State Road 54 and Livingston Road in Lutz, Pasco County will include a Panera Bread location.

“The cafe is scheduled to open sometime before Thanksgiving, so November, I would say,” Regional Marketing Manager Amanda Saxon told Patch.com.

Details about the size of the café were not immediately available but Saxon said roughly 40-50 people will be hired for the location. Hiring will not begin until perhaps September.

Located next to RaceTrac, the retail plaza is advertising for potential tenants. Broker Insite Real Estate Inc. notes the property includes total gross leasable area of 11,500 square feet. No other details about the project were immediately available.

Panera Bread, based in St. Louis, is known for its specialty breads, made-to-order sandwiches, coffees and baked goods. They have more than 1,700 locations in the U.S. and Ontario, Canada.

Want to work at the forthcoming Panera location? Saxon said to http://www.panerabread.com/about/careers/ for information about jobs.