Get excited, residents of Western Loudoun County. The town of Purcellville is opening a new franchise location of Panera. The restaurant will be in the Catoctin Center by Dunkin Donuts, Manhattan Pizza, and Wink Vision. It will be on an empty piece of land in the center to the left of the Catoctin Corner Dentistry building. Residents should expect for this new Panera to open quicker than the ill-fated IHOP that has been canceled; however, an opening date has not been announced yet for the Panera.
Purcellville is a small town with numerous small shops and fast food restaurants, but when it comes to sit-down restaurants, there are a select few. Kaitlyn Hornbaker, a senior who works at the Purcellville Harris Teeter, expressed her interest in going to the new Panera. “I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t been to Panera in years, so it would be nice to go again,” expressed Hornbaker.
Panera is also one of the healthiest food chains and, being a healthier option compared to other places in Purcellville, it should be a good business for Western Loudoun. Lilly Jones, a senior who works at the Purcellville Chick-Fil-A is excited about having more healthy food options. “I’m looking forward to more variety of food. It has more healthy options,” Jones said.
This location also could be another study and hang out spot for students besides the Purcellville Starbucks, considering the Panera in Leesburg is quite a popular location for studying. Senior Maddy Wagner, a former employee at the Purcellville Dunkin Donuts shared her hope of studying at this new Panera location. “I think instead of going to Starbucks, the tables there are a lot better. Studying there will be nice once the excitement dies down.”
Residents in Western Loudoun County should not wait for Panera as long as the Purcellville IHop. The Panera in Purcellville looks like construction is making a lot of progress.. Panera is already hiring online for bakers, servers, and other positions, so that is good news if you want to get a job. Students and residents of Western Loudoun County are excited about the opportunities this restaurant provides.
