Bread Boom Hits Benton County

Two of the nation’s leading upscale sandwich-shop chains plan to open stores in the Rogers/Bentonville area this spring.

Atlanta Bread Co. and Panera Bread Co. both have stores in Fayetteville and are ready to test the Benton County market. In each company’s case, the Fayetteville store is the only location currently open in Arkansas.

Brandon Sewell, who owns the Atlanta Bread Co. franchise in Fayetteville, said he plans to open a location on West Walnut Street in Bentonville sometime in May.

Sewell said the restaurant will be located in a 4,000-SF stand-alone building owned by MVR Inc. of Topeka, Kan.

“It’s in close proximity to Scottsdale Center and all that’s going on over there,” Sewell said.

The new restaurant will have about 40 employees. Sewell purchased the Atlanta Bread Co. franchise in Fayetteville from Dick Bradley of Lincoln in January 1999.

If all goes well in Rogers, Sewell said he may open additional Atlanta Bread Co. restaurants, with Fort Smith being a likely location.

Atlanta Bread Co. is a privately held company based in Atlanta. Sewell said the company has about 120 stores nationwide.

Panera Bread Co. is scheduled to open one of its sandwich shops April 25 at 201 S.W. 14th St. in Bentonville.

Michelle Sturdivant, real estate coordinator for the St. Louis-based chain, said the Bentonville store will be about 4,200 SF in size. Construction of the building was nearing completion in March.

According to Fayetteville tax records for 2001, the Atlanta Bread Co. in that city had annual sales of $1.2 million and the Panera store had sales of $1.17 million.