Michelle Willard

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Panera Bread is planning a north Murfreesboro location, according to plans presented Wednesday to the Murfreesboro Planning Commission.

City Councilman Eddie Smotherman, one of the council’s representatives on the Planning Commission, said the national brand is planned at The Shoppes at Northgate on Memorial Boulevard.

“I’m sure north Murfreesboro will be excited as the north Memorial Boulevard continues to grow with the soon-to-be location of Panera Bread on Memorial,” Smotherman said.

“There seems to have been a large demand for sit-down restaurants on the north side, and this is exactly what the public’s been asking for,” he said. “It will certainly make people on the north side excited.”

Panera announced in January its entire U.S. food menu and is now free from all artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners and colors from artificial sources as defined by the company’s “No No List,” which includes 96 separate ingredients and additive classes.

Panera is the first national restaurant company to make such a comprehensive commitment.

The restaurant reviewed more than 450 ingredients, delving several levels into the supply chain to ensure the removal of all artificial flavors, preservatives, sweeteners and colors from artificial sources, according to a press release.

This resulted in the reformulation of 122 ingredients and changes to the majority of Panera’s bakery-cafe recipes.

Murfreesboro’s new Panera will occupy of side of a “two-tenant structure at the northwestern corner of Memorial Boulevard and Wendelwood Drive,” said Donald Anthony, principal planner for the Murfreesboro Planning Department.

The 6,352-square-foot retail building will also a retail shop.

The commission also approved a master plan and preliminary plat to allow for a private street to serve the development.

“Specifically, the private street will provide rear access to outparcels that front Memorial Boulevard and an additional access to the larger parcels on the west side of the development,” Anthony said.

The commercial development is anchored by Sprouts Farmer’s Market. In addition to Sprouts, the 58,000-square foot neighborhood center will include Newk’s Express Café, petsen$e, Pacific Dental Services, Uncle Maddio’s Pizza, Avalon Nails and The Pottery Place.

GBT acquired the 13.1-acre site along Memorial Boulevard for The Shoppes of Northgate in 2015. The $16 million neighborhood center is directly across from the Walmart Supercenter.

Reach Michelle Willard at mwillard@dnj.com or 615-278-5164 and on Twitter @michwillard.