Panera, Freddy’s Frozen Custard, among new restaurants coming to Burlington Township

Celeste E. Whittaker, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Updated ·2 min read

BURLINGTON TWP. – A Panera Bread and a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers are coming to The Crossings at the site of the former Burlington Center Mall.

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, as previously reported, Discount Tire and Sleep Number will also be located at the retail portion of the old mall site.

What happened to Burlington Center Mall?

The mall, originally built in 1982, closed in 2018 and was demolished in 2021 to make way for three warehouses with a combined 1.9 million square feet and more than 100,000 square feet of retail development, including shops, restaurants and planned medical offices across seven buildings.

The restaurants and retail, which will be referred to as The Shops at the Crossings, will be located on the corner of Bromley Boulevard and Route 541, adjacent to the Towne Crossing shopping center, which includes a Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target, Starbucks, Burger King, Kohl’s, Home Depot and more.

The location is along Route 541, and sits near Interstate 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The lead developer is MRP Industrial.

Raising Cane's is being built at the corner of Bromley Boulevard and Route 541 in Burlington Township. Panera Bread and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers are two other restaurants coming to that location, which is the former site of the Burlington Center Mall.
Raising Cane's is being built at the corner of Bromley Boulevard and Route 541 in Burlington Township. Panera Bread and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers are two other restaurants coming to that location, which is the former site of the Burlington Center Mall.

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers expanding in South Jersey

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is a Wichita, Kansas-based American fast-casual restaurant chain with hundreds of locations around the country, including 72 in Texas. The menu includes frozen custard, a variety of specialty sundaes, steakburgers, fries, chicken sandwiches and hot dogs.

There are currently five locations in Pennsylvania, two New Jersey locations in Toms River and one in Linden, and in addition to the one planned for Burlington Township, another location is on tap for Cinnaminson at 1107 Route 130 South, according to township officials.

Panera has more than 2,000 locations in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Sunset Hills, Missouri. The bakery-café fast casual restaurant has South Jersey locations in Deptford, Sicklerville, Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Voorhees, Marlton and Mount Laurel, although one in Delran closed recently.

Warehouses sprout up in SJ How many more warehouses will try to make South Jersey home?

The chain is known for its soups, sandwiches, bagels, salads, macaroni and cheese, flatbread pizza, cookies and more.

Justin Hollander, vice president and retail development lead for The Ferber Company, a privately held real estate development and investment company involved with the project, says Phase 1 of the retail project is well underway.

“We are currently working on construction of Phase 1 of the project, with many of the tenants projected to open December 2023 and are hoping to confirm a possible medical office, dual branded hotel, and/or fitness center for Phase 2,” said Hollander in a news release. He confirmed tenants for Phase 1 will include Raising Cane’s, Panera Bread, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Discount Tire and Sleep Number.

Raising Cane's is rising at the corner of Bromley Boulevard and Route 541 in Burlington Township. Panera Bread and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and other shops are coming to the former site of the Burlington Center Mall. Several large warehouses are being built at the location.
Raising Cane's is rising at the corner of Bromley Boulevard and Route 541 in Burlington Township. Panera Bread and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and other shops are coming to the former site of the Burlington Center Mall. Several large warehouses are being built at the location.

Celeste E. Whittaker is a news features reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times. The South Jersey native started at the CP in 1998 and has covered the Philadelphia 76ers, college and high school sports and has won numerous awards for her work. Reach her by email at  cwhittaker@gannettnj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @cp_CWhittaker.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Freddy’s Frozen Custard, Panera coming to Burlington Township