ST. LOUIS — Another Panera Bread fresh dough facility is on the chopping block, this time in Greensboro, NC.

In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filed March 21 with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Panera said it plans to close its facility at 4225 Tudor Lane in Greensboro on May 21, which will result in the layoff of 80 employees. Those staff will receive separation pay, assistance with COBRA health insurance premiums, outplacement services, and support finding roles inside and outside the company, Panera said.

That marked at least two WARN filings by Panera on March 21 to disclose planned shutdowns of fresh dough facilities. The St. Louis-based bakery cafe chain also plans to close its dough facility in Lenexa, Kan., on May 21. The company has 90 cafes in North Carolina and 25 in Kansas.

Panera now has shuttered or plans to close nine fresh dough facilities, including the Greensboro and Lenexa sites. In late February, the company confirmed planned closures for dough facilities in Stockton and Ontario, Calif., and said at the time that it had 11 open facilities operating nationwide. Last year, Panera shut fresh dough facilities in Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, Houston and Chandler, Ariz. 

The dough facility closings come as pilots of an “on-demand” bread-making model are expanded to more markets across the country, according to Panera. Based on the latest pair of facility shutdowns, the company has introduced the on-demand model in eight states.

“As part of this transition, we had to make the difficult decision to close our Greensboro commissary facility,” Panera said. “Any decision that impacts our teams is never made lightly, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions of all impacted team members.”

Panera has previously explained that, depending on the market, it employs one of two bread-making models. Under the existing model, dough is mixed and shaped at a commissary and then delivered to cafes, where it’s reshaped and baked. The on-demand model taps third-party artisan bakers that — using Panera recipes and ingredients — par-bake and freeze bread for shipment to Panera locations, where the baking is completed as needed.

“We have seen notable improvements in availability, quality and guest experience with the on-demand baking model we are expanding into the market,” Panera said. “Along with improving the availability and consistency of our breads and baked goods, we have found that the on-demand baking model has allowed us to simplify operations, unlock innovation and explore new breads and unique varieties.