Whispers of confusion traveled across campus last week as students returned to school and discovered the John Street Panera missing. The restaurant had been a daytime hot spot for students, staff and locals. During the summer, it relocated across the street from Marketplace Mall.

A large rent increase caused the campustown Panera to move to Neil Street, said Abe Wilson, manager of Panera at both the old and new locations.

“The move was due solely to a rent increase,” Wilson said. “I was just as upset to go as the students were to see us leave.”

Wilson also said that the Panera across from Marketplace Mall would be one of the newly designed Panera restaurants. It will be much bigger with a separate study area, wireless Internet, fireplaces and extra perks that the John Street location lacked.

“This move also gives the Panera Bread Company a chance to try their new-age restaurant design in central Illinois with a different clientele,” said Todd Kantarek, former Panera employee and junior in Engineering. “The store was always busy and made a lot of money, so even the employees were baffled we were closing.”

However, the John Street Panera had what the new location lacks – convenience.

“The students are lost without Panera,” said Janae Pasquinelli, junior in Business. “It was just so convenient … now you need a car just to get there.”

It offered a variety of on-campus options to students and had played host to early morning coffee runs, lunch dates and Sunday afternoon study groups.

“I never went into Panera without seeing someone I knew,” Pasquinelli said. “It had a very welcoming and cozy atmosphere.”

Despite the reason for the move, some students are still upset and wonder why one of their favorite restaurants on campus gave up such a prime location.

“I was in shock when I saw that Panera closed,” said Kristina Filippello, sophomore in LAS. “It seemed to be constantly busy, so I can’t imagine they went out of business.”

While most students are upset by the move, a few, like Lindsey Krupicka, junior in FAA, think the loss of Panera is a good thing.

“I think it was a slow, student-run attempt on a chain restaurant that just didn’t work out,” Krupicka said. “The lines were always long and slow, and it was kind of dirty.”

Joe Zhu, sophomore in ALS, agreed, wondering why so many students are disappointed by Panera’s closing.

“It was just a restaurant,” Zhu said. “It’s not like there aren’t others to choose from.”

Until the new Panera opens, students who are still upset are finding other ways to calm their craving for Panera.

“At least the close of Panera was well-timed with the opening of Starbucks and Potbelly’s,” said Pat Healy, junior in LAS. “It will take time, but the students will someday get over this loss.”