Panera Bread opens its 1st Long Island drive-through in Plainview

The Panera Bread on Old Country Road (just west of Manetto Hill Road) in Plainview offers something no other Long Island branch provides: a drive-through window.

Which means that without leaving your car, you can get anything on the store’s cafe and bakery menu. Like a Mediterranean egg white sandwich in the morning. Or, for lunch or dinner, chicken noodle soup and a chipotle chicken panino. Maybe some tortellini Alfredo. Or a grilled chicken Caesar salad. And, to conclude, a  peanut butter dream cookie with coffee.

Provided you know what you're ordering (an illustrated menu is posted as you drive up), the turnaround time is estimated to run around three minutes. Drive-through orders are produced by a dedicated production line separate from the rest of the cafe.

Panera Bread is at 1082 Old Country Rd., Plainview, 516-681-0260, panerabread.com.