Through an exclusive, multi-year, multi-unit development agreement with global restaurateur HMSHost, Panera Bread will be bringing its bakery-cafés to major U.S. airports and travel plazas.

HMSHost will debut two new Panera airport locations in 2020, Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina and the Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah. Additional airport and travel plaza locations are slated to open throughout 2020 and beyond.

“At HMSHost, we're leaders in expanding travelers’ dining options with the most in-demand, unmatched choices. With Panera Bread as our exclusive partner, we are transforming the fast casual category in airports and motorways across the United States,” says HMSHost President and CEO Steve Johnson. “Traveling consumers have been clamoring for Panera Bread to expand into airports and motorways. With this agreement, we are answering that demand for travelers seeking craveable, better-for-you food, delivered fast and efficiently.”

Panera’s classic menu of salads, sandwiches, soups, mac and cheese, and bread bowls, as well as breakfast offerings such as wraps and bakery items, will be available. Additionally, the menu will feature Panera’s signature You Pick Two options, as well as protein-rich, vegan, and vegetarian items.

The airport locations will also feature grab-and-go versions of many of Panera’s menu offerings

“We’re pleased to partner with HMSHost to bring Panera to airport and travel plaza locations across the U.S.,” says Dan Wegiel, Panera’s Executive Vice President, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer. “Panera is uniquely positioned to fill the void between quality and convenience for hungry travelers, offering the same better-for-you menu options they know and love from our traditional bakery-cafes, with all the speed they need while in transit. The HMSHost partnership expands consumers’ access to the brand, delivering on our vision to bring Panera closer to those who hunger for our food wherever, whenever and however they choose.”