A new First Watch restaurant and a Panera with a drive-thru are coming to Bradenton

A Panera Bread restaurant recently moved from space that it had occupied since 2007 in the Lowe’s-Best Buy-Dick’s Sporting Goods shopping center to new stand-alone space across the street at 4115 14th St. W.

The restaurant, just north of the 14th Street intersection with Cortez Road, was doing brisk sit-down business this week, but also offers drive-thru convenience.

Earlier this year, Panera announced the nationwide launch of drive-thru pick-up, “combining the ease of the digital ordering experience with the comfort and convenience of the drive-thru window.”

“Digital sales at Panera represent more than 50% of total system sales, with more than three million average transactions each week from digital channels including the app, kiosk and web,” Panera Bread said in a May 31 press release.

Other Bradenton area Panera Bread locations with a drive-thru include 6351 Manatee Ave. W. and 11505 State Road 70 E.

Panera Bread’s former location in the Lowe’s shopping center won’t sit vacant for long.

First Watch, the Bradenton-based, daytime restaurant company, already has a sign in the window there.

“We anticipate opening our new Bradenton restaurant at 1520 Cortez Road W. in winter 2023-2024,” a company spokesman said in an email. “We’re thrilled to be expanding in our own hometown.”

First Watch has Bradenton area restaurants in the Shoppes of Paradise Bay shopping center, 7118 Cortez Road W., in the Lockwood Commons Shopping Center at 4324 53rd Ave. E. and in the Town Center Market Square shopping center, 8306 Market St., Lakewood Ranch.

Ken Pendery founded the company in Pacific Grove, Calif., in 1983, and moved company headquarters to Bradenton in 1986.

First Watch Restaurant Group had its initial public offering of stock in 2021 at the NASDAQ exchange in New York City.

There are more than 480 First Watch restaurants in 29 states. The restaurant concept is majority owned by Advent International, a private-equity firm.