Six months into its turnaround plan, Panera Bread is opening new bakery-cafes quickly in 2026—while at least two dozen locations have closed since last summer across multiple states, including a heavy concentration in California and a Houston cluster tied to a
The same brand that is planting new Panera bakery-cafes this year is also pulling down shutters—again and again—on sites that used to draw regulars.
Six months into a turnaround plan that includes a refreshed menu and a renewed commitment to the customer experience. Panera Bread is growing at a healthy clip. So far in 2026, the fast-casual chain has opened 23 new bakery-cafes: 15 company-owned locations and eight franchised ones. At least 25 additional locations are expected to open before the year is out.
That expansion is happening under CEO Paul Carbone’s “Panera Rise” plan, announced in November 2025. The strategy is also described as including modernizing its existing store portfolio.
But the modernization has come with closures. Since last summer. at least two dozen Panera Bread locations have closed across several states. based on an analysis of local media reports. online review platforms. and Panera’s store locator tool. California has been hit especially hard. with at least six closures. while Panera locations have also shut in Iowa. Pennsylvania. Maryland. New York. North Carolina. and Ohio.
Texas has its own chapter. More than a dozen Houston-area locations closed last summer after the high-profile collapse and bankruptcy of a large franchisee. Court records later showed that eight of those locations have since been sold to an entity tied to Hamra Enterprises. which already owns Panera bakery-cafes in states including Illinois and Massachusetts. Whether those specific Houston-area stores will reopen—and when—was not immediately clear. and Hamra Enterprises did not respond to requests for comment.
Panera’s growth and its closures are happening side by side: the brand is expanding the number of new bakery-cafes. while some existing restaurants—sometimes tied to changing franchise realities—are being removed from the map. As of the end of May, Panera Bread had 2,255 bakery-cafes, including company stores and franchised locations.
Which Panera Bread locations have closed?
According to the review, the following locations have closed since last summer. The list may not be a full count. The review also notes which Texas locations were reported sold in court records, and the story will be updated if the buyer responds about the fate of those stores.
California
13450 Highland Pl Bldg D Ste R4 San Diego, CA 92130
2415 E Chapman Ave, Fullerton, CA 92838
5895 Katella Ave Suite F, Cypress, CA 90630
640 Ventura Blvd Suite 1200, Camarillo, CA 93010
8152 E Santa Ana Canyon Rd, Anaheim, CA 92808
6344 CA-27 Suite 1090, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Iowa
101 Jordan Creek Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Maryland
45250 Worth Ave, California, MD 20619
219 E Middle Ln, Rockville, MD 20850
New York
254-41 Horace Harding Expy, Little Neck, NY 11362
North Carolina
9321 JW Clay Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262
201 S College St Suite 150, Charlotte, NC 28244
Ohio
3806 Paxton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45209
Pennsylvania
3401 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Texas
1302 W Davis St, Conroe, TX 77304 (sold)
1448 Louetta Rd, Spring, TX 77388 (sold)
3548 Rayford Rd, Spring, TX 77386 (sold)
12220 FM 1960 W, Houston, TX 77065 (sold)
13704 Northwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77040 (sold)
19506 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77094 (sold)
22521 Tomball Pkwy Suite 125, Houston, TX 77070 (sold)
25546 Kingsland Blvd, Katy, TX 77494 (sold)
1201 Lake Woodlands Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77380
15607 Hwy 105 W, Montgomery, TX 77356
26003 Northwest Fwy., Cypress, TX 77429
Will more Panera Bread stores close?
When asked for details about why specific locations shut—or whether additional closures were expected—a Panera Bread spokesperson did not provide the breakdown. The spokesperson did say that Panera’s overall footprint is growing this year.
It’s not unusual for restaurant chains or franchisees to close underperforming locations even while the broader brand footprint rises. Panera Bread, for example, has opened more restaurants than it has closed over the last sixteen years.
Panera Bread was taken private in 2017, when it was acquired by investment firm JAB Holdings in a deal estimated to be worth $7.5 billion at the time.
Sales slowed post-COVID and “turned negative” in 2024, according to a report last year from Franchise Times. More recently, Panera began closing its fresh dough facilities as part of a shift to a par-baked model.
This story is developing and may be updated.
Panera Bread Panera Rise Paul Carbone restaurant closures bakery-cafes franchise locations JAB Holdings Hamra Enterprises Houston franchise bankruptcy retail footprint 2026 expansion