A line of people waited outside the front doors of Kneaders Bakery & Cafe on Friday for the restaurant to officially open.
βWe had a really busy morning,β Kneaders manager Farani Tua said just before the lunch rush gained speed. βItβs been a great experience so far.β
Kneaders at 135 S. Wilmot Road, on the corner of Wilmot and East Broadway, is the first of at least three that Utah franchisee Four Food Groups will open in Tucson in the next year, said company spokesman Austin Smith.
Smith said he hopes to break ground in early September on the corner of East River and North Craycroft roads, just south of Quik Trip. In late December, construction could be underway on the corner of East Linda Vista Boulevard and North Oracle Road in Oro Valley.
Both stores should be open by early 2016, he said.
Kneaders is located in an area populated by casual bakery-themed, sandwich-centered restaurants, including Jasonβs Deli and Panera Bread just down East Broadway and Beyond Bread on South Wilmot at Speedway.
βWeβre just totally different from the other concepts,β Smith said of what distinguishes Kneaders from the competition. βEverything is done on a daily basis on-site, so it is really fresh every day. Nothing we do is through a commissary.β
Kneaders is one of three national chain restaurants moving into the North Wilmot Road and East Broadway corner where the El Mercado Shopping center stood.
Thereβs been little movement on Corner Bakery CafΓ©, the Texas-based fast-casual sandwich/bakery restaurant slated to rise next door to Kneaders. But construction is underway on Raising Caneβs Chicken Fingers, which will face East Broadway. A company spokeswoman on Friday said they expect to open by late October.
Kneaders is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; closed Sundays.
