Food - Drink
The 2 States You Won't Find A Single Panera Location
By JOE DILLARD
Panera Bread is a fast-casual restaurant chain famous for its freshly-baked bread, tasty sandwiches, hot soups, and comforting mac and cheese. QSR reports that as of 2021, Panera sat at the No. 12 spot on a list of largest fast food chains in America, but they might have a higher rank if only they had a presence in every state.
There are about 2,176 Panera locations in the U.S., and the chain even operates 12 stores in Ontario, Canada, but the states of Hawaii and Alaska don't have a single one. You also won't find a Panera in U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
While standalone Panera stores can't be found in the aforementioned states, grocery stores in Alaska and Hawaii still carry ready-made Panera products, including breads, soups, and mac and cheese. It's unclear why the restaurant hasn't made its way to these states, but residents can still taste some of the hype for themselves.