Sandwiches and salads are an important part of any menu, and when they are from Panera bread, it’s a holiday-worthy meal. So, I thought of checking out whether Panera Bread will be open for a Thanksgiving meal. And if you have been searching for the same answer, I have it for you.

If you were planning to have a meal at Panera Bread for Thanksgiving, then you would have to look for some other restaurant. That’s because Panera Bread will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022.
New to Panera Bread? Let me tell you all about this restaurant because you can indulge in a great meal from this restaurant on other days. Panera bread is an American bakery-cafe restaurant chain that started with a single outlet in St.Louis in 1987.
The brand has since then grown to have over 2000 outlets across America. It has been loved so much over the years, all thanks to its menu!
At Panera bread, you can enjoy both sweet and savory food items. The restaurant menu includes items like soups, salads, beverages, mac and cheese, pizza, breakfast, and kids’ meals. They also serve freshly baked cookies, muffins, bagels, croissants, and more.
This food brand believes “in serving delicious, freshly prepared, Clean food made with carefully selected ingredients that we are proud to serve our own families. Our menu, crafted by chefs and bakers, features classic, comforting dishes, each with an intriguing twist.”
You will also be happy to know that they serve food made with the freshest ingredients with no added colors, flavors, or preservatives. The café loves its bread, and it started with a mission of ‘A loaf of bread in every arm.’ It trains all the bakers to make a soft, delicious, and fresh bread loaf.
Every franchise gets fresh dough delivered from 23 facilities across the country. Many locations of the café also have a soup of the day, but the soup menu varies by the store.
Panera Bread is one of the busiest cafes in America. Thanks to all these high-quality food items. Apart from food, one of the highlights of this café is that you will always listen to classical music across its stores all the time. The café is famous for only pumping classical beats for all its customers.
Thus, if you are a classical music fanatic, you will have a good time here. So, we will find out why Panera Bread is closed on Thanksgiving Day. Along with that, I will give you some extra information about the restaurant for an easy Panera Bread visit experience.
Why is Panera Bread closed on Thanksgiving Day?

Panera Bread is one of the most loved food chains in America. It serves its customers on most holidays. However, Panera Bread doesn’t keep its services open for serving its customers as it takes a day off on Thanksgiving Day. This is because the brand believes in giving its employees to celebrate this special with family.
But you don’t have to be disappointed. Panera Bread will stay open a day before Thanksgiving Day, and it will reopen the next day. The timings of the restaurant will also remain the same on these days as its official hours, which are from 6.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.
So, you can grab a bite of the delicious fare offered by Panera Bread on all the other days of Thanksgiving week.
Now that you know the reason behind Panera Bread being closed on Thanksgiving Day let me also give you some more information about the restaurant.
Panera Bread is one cafe that opens quite early in the morning. The opening shifts are as early as 5 a.m., and some chains even begin operating at 4:45 a.m. So, you can have a good time even in the early morning hours.
If you make frequent visits to the café to buy the best items from their menu, then you can also get free drinks here. The employees reward the frequent customers at the café with free drinks, even if they have reward cards or not.
Don’t want to hit up a crowded restaurant all the time? No worries! Panera Bread has you covered. This restaurant chain also provides home delivery. You can place an order at Panera Bread’s website, or you can make use of other delivery services. These include Grubhub, DoorDash, and Seamless.
Panera Bread also provides catering services to its customers. So, you can host a group order and have an event planned at home or work.
Panera Bread writes on its website, “Our flexible service makes it easy to receive fast, contactless delivery directly to your event or workplace, or multiple locations for virtual events. And with our order tracking, you’ll know right when your order is on its way and when it arrives. Just be sure to opt-in to tracking once your order is placed.”
Furthermore, at Panera Bread, you can also avail the benefits of its Gift cards. You can purchase them online and gift them to your loved ones via email, or you can also send the plastic gift cards by mail.
Similar Restaurant Chains That Are Closed On Thanksgiving
- Subway – A light sandwich is sometimes all we need to satiate lunchtime hunger pangs. Subway serves some of the best sandwiches ever, however, unfortunately not on Thanksgiving this year.
- Taco Bell – Taco Bell is an internationally recognized chain, known for, yes, their tacos! On Thanksgiving, however, Taco Bell will not be serving customers this year.
- Chick-fil-A – Not just known for their OG chicken sandwiches, Chick-fil-A is also one of those restaurants that is known for being closed on Sundays and certain holidays. So, as per those strong norms that the chain follows, they will not be open on Thanksgiving.
- Chipotle – Chipotle is well known for serving some of the best burritos you may ever have in your life. Unfortunately, they will not be open on Thanksgiving this year, so you may have to consider other options for burrito cravings.
- Sonic Drive-In – Sonic Drive-In is famous not just for serving great burgers and shakes, but also for their unique style of service. But, on Thanksgiving, you will have to consider other places to enjoy the burgers and milkshakes, but maybe not the service!
- Arby’s – Known for ‘Market Fresh Sandwiches’ and a lot more, Arby’s is one restaurant chain where you can enjoy a variety of fast food. This chain will however, not be operational on Thanksgiving this year.
- Dairy Queen – Although the name of this chain is ‘Dairy Queen’, I must say that their burgers are pretty phenomenal too! On Thanksgiving this year, Dairy Queen will however, not be open.
- Panda Express – Craving Chinese? We all can agree that there’s no better place in the United States than Panda Express! But, you will have to take your chinese cravings elsewhere on Thanksgiving as the chain will not be open on this holiday.
- Whataburger – Burgers so good, they actually make you say, “What-a-burger!” . However, you won’t be able to enjoy saying that on Thanksgiving as Whataburger will be closed.
- Jimmy John’s – Even though America has a lot of sandwich places, there’s none of them quite like Jimmy John’s! But, you will have to settle for a different option as Jimmy John’s will not be open on Thanksgiving this year.
Conclusion
Panera Bread is a restaurant that you must visit for fresh and delectable food. If you were planning to visit it on Thanksgiving Day, it would not be open. However, you can visit this restaurant on any other day between 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Is Panera Bread open on Thanksgiving Day?
No, Panera Bread will not open on Thanksgiving Day.
What are Panera Bread’s working hours on normal days?
Opening and closing hours of Panera Bread on a regular day are from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Does Panera Bread provide home delivery?
Yes, Panera Bread provides the option of home delivery. You can place an order at Panera Bread’s website or order through delivery apps like DoorDash, GrubHub, and Seamless.
What menu items can you enjoy at Panera Bread?
The restaurant menu includes items like soups, salads, beverages, mac and cheese, pizza, breakfast, and kids’ meals. They also serve freshly baked cookies, muffins, bagels, croissants, and more.