Keyshawn Johnson, a former NFL football standout and current ESPN analyst, is expected to attend a VIP invitation-only party at the new Panera Bread bakery-cafe in La Cumbre Plaza on Friday.
Johnson is a co-owner of the eatery, located at 3851 State Street.
The official opening for the public is Saturday at 6 a.m. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
“Panera Bread is a brand that fits so well with the California life style. Good food, great ingredients, exceptional customer service in a relaxed atmosphere. You can’t get more California than that,” said Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, First Picks Management LLC, a Panera Bread Area Developer and franchisee. “I’m from (Southern California) and this is my home … I feel like I know what people here are looking for on an every day basis and Panera Bread meets that need.”
For its VIP invitation-only opening party, the bakery-cafe will hold a silent auction to benefit the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation (DSLRF), formerly the Santa Barbara Breast Cancer Institute.
Johnson, who was an All-American receiver at USC, recruited current and former NFL players, an NBA player and USC alumni to invest in First Picks Management. Among them are Dennis Northcutt, Terence Newman, Warrick Dunn, Eric Allen, Reggie Bush, Anthony Henry, Keith Rivers, Corey Ivy, and Joe Smith.
