A new bakery and cafe is set to open on Nassau Street and Small World Coffee on Witherspoon Street is expanding in Princeton Borough.
By: Jennifer Potash
There will soon be more, and larger, places in downtown Princeton to grab a cup of coffee or a gourmet sandwich.
Small World Coffee at 14 Witherspoon St. is in the midst of an expansion into the space next door at 12 Witherspoon St., which was recently vacated by Print-It, a copy center.
And Panera, a bakery and cafe, is expected to open at 134-136 Nassau Street in a few weeks.
Princeton Borough Zoning Officer Frank Slimak said outstanding issues, such as trash removal, were recently resolved and he granted Small World an administrative waiver for minor site plan changes.
Small World Coffee, which opened in 1993, has long sought more space, according to co-owner Jessica Durrie.
The expanded space will have its own entry off Witherspoon Street but will be connected to the existing Small World cafe inside, she said. There will be additional seating, more room for music performances on Saturday nights and a more varied menu.
The expanded space is called "Belly" on the plans in the borough zoning office but Ms. Durrie has said that may not be the final name.
In late summer Print-It moved across the street to 15 Witherspoon St., which was the former Firebird Gallery. The gallery moved into the former Jewels by Juliana site at 16 Witherspoon St. in July.
Meanwhile, Panera Bread, a bakery and cafe, will move into the former sites of Totally Wired/Verdge, an Internet cafe, and Great Impressions, a clothing store. The opening is targeted for the first week in March, according to Jim Nawn of The Fenwick Group, which is opening the Nassau Street bakery.
The application was approved by the Princeton Borough Zoning Board in June.
Panera will have a 125-seat dining area, including tables, chairs, couches and armchairs, as well as a meeting room available on request for groups to use. There will be a bakery on site to provide fresh bread and other baked goods, as well as sandwiches, soups and salads, according to the application.
The Fenwick Group intends to open 40 Panera Bread bakery/cafes in northern and central New Jersey, including one in West Windsor at the Nassau Park Pavilion near Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target, Mr. Nawn said.