Panera plans bakery-cafe near hotel

smoyers

The Panera Bread Co. has confirmed its plans to build a free-standing bakery-cafe near the new Holiday Inn Express on William Street. The company hopes to have it open by the middle of November.

Plans are still tentative and the lease with Midamerica Hotels has not been signed, said Mindy Peirce, a spokeswoman for the company. Peirce would release no further details, even what that new store means for the Panera Bread that currently does business at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

Mall manager Paul Dobbins said he could not discuss tenant leases.

Bob Hahn, vice president for development with Midamerica Hotels Corp., said they are in the final stages of the lease.

"The lease is not signed, but we're real close," Hahn said. "We look forward to their selection of the Hospitality Center for their new free-standing store."

Hahn said that Panera Bread has selected the site on the southwest corner of William Street and Mount Auburn Road. Hahn said both Panera Bread and the new Holiday Inn Express are expected to open this fall.

Panera Bread sells fresh-baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches on freshly baked breads, soups, salads, custom-roasted coffees and other beverages.

Hahn said Midamerica Hotels is involved with leases for two other restaurants for the area near the hotel.

More on those in the next few weeks. (And they're big.)

* Cafe Azu to fly into Air Force spot: Cafe Azu owner Erik Minkin knew an opportunity when he saw it.

The U.S. Air Force Recruiting Station next door to his Eastern European restaurant recently moved from the Broadway strip mall.

"I knew it would be good for a party room, a banquet facility and we could put live music in there," Minkin said. "We could have a full-service bar there."

Minkin has been in discussions with building owner Su Hill -- who also owns Saffron -- and he hopes to occupy the space by the end of the month. He said Hill thinks it's a good idea, and some work is being done to accommodate the expansion.

Minkin said that he has been approached by Larry Underberg about holding some of Underberg's famous house concerts.

"He constantly brings musicians from around the country, and it seems like his house is getting smaller and smaller," he said. "He's asked me if I would be willing to host the function for them."

Cafe Azu is at 1315 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

* The Artist Studio coming to downtown: Judy Barks-Westrich has been an art teacher for 30 years, for the last 10 at Central High School in Cape Girardeau.

"Many times, I've had parents come in and say, 'I wish I could take your art class,' or 'I wish I had done art like this when I was younger,'" she said.

Now they can. Barks-Westrich plans to open the Artist Studio in downtown Cape Girardeau with a grand opening March 5. The art studio will be at 38-A N. Main St.

It will be a working studio for her as well as a place to sell original artwork and offer workshops for adults at first and then youngsters starting this summer.

The Artist Studio will be open by appointment, as well as times when she's there working or conducting workshops.

* Trentham and Associates opening Jackson office: Trentham and Associates Real Estate, based in my old stomping grounds in Marble Hill, Mo., is opening a second office in Jackson this week at 915 Gerald St.

"I've worked that area for 15 years," said owner Cathy Trentham. "I used to be with Century 21 in Cape. I love the Jackson-Cape market, and we have a lot of customers there. This second office will help us to better service our customers there."

* Capetown RV Sales rolling in expansion: Jerry Schwab, owner of Capetown RV, tells me a new building is going up next to his sales building at Interstate 55 and Airport Road.

The new building will serve as a home for their Service Four Equipment business, which is a car-wash distributor also owned by Schwab. It has put several Quality Car Wash systems in Cape Girardeau, for example.

Service Four also is a supplier of Turtle Wax and other industrial chemicals for car washes. The new building is 7,400 square feet and will have an address at 259 Airport Road, just south of Capetown RV. Schwab hopes it's completed in mid-March.

Schwab said they are also adding to their RV lot. When that's finished -- they're putting up fencing now -- they'll have 1,100 feet of highway frontage.

* First State Community Bank going up: Construction has finally begun on First State Community Bank's new two-story building at the corner of Broadview and William Street in Cape Girardeau.

Bank president Charles Daniel said there have been some delays, but now he hopes that the bank will be open in August. The 1.3-acre lot is west of Applebee's and next to Trees 'n Trends. The new bank will be a second location in Cape Girardeau.

The bank's current location at 1602 N. Kingshighway will remain open as a retail outlet. Daniel said the existing staff is to be blended with three or four new employees and divided between both locations.

* Construction begins on Andy's Frozen Custard: The dirt work has begun on Andy's Frozen Custard at 829 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. It is expected to be finished in time for a spring opening. The new Kingshighway location is one of seven new franchises that will soon open in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas.

Scott Moyers is the business editor of the Southeast Missourian. Send your comments, business news, information or questions to "Biz Buzz," 301 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699, extension 137. They can also be e-mailed to smoyers@semissourian.com.