Schimenti Construction building Panera Bread in mid-town Manhattan

Ridgefield, Conn. —Schimenti Construction Company is building a $1.5 million Panera Bread cafe on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The company began the project in September and will complete construction in January 2014.



Panera adds to Schimenti’s roster of fast-casual restaurant clients, which includes Starbucks and Chipotle. A project for another new client, Chik-Fil-A, is slated to begin in 2014.



The 16-week project presents some unique challenges, according to senior project manager Billy Collins. The building’s roof is low and set back, which makes some of the mechanical work more difficult.



“We will need to remove an existing masonry wall to allow access to the low roof, to be able to set mechanical equipment,” Collins said. “And, because the space incorporates the basement and first floor, we need to install vertical transportation, which can be time consuming.”



Collins added that Schimenti has devised ways to accommodate the issues while keeping to the timeline.



The 6,830-sq.-ft., two-story space is located at 330 Fifth Avenue, at the corner of 33rd Street in a space that formerly housed a Burger King restaurant. The project architect is Smart Design, Batavia, N.Y.