Until recently, Keyshawn Johnson's favorite place to grab a quick bite to eat wasn't one of the innumerable Starbucks that line the streets near his Los Angeles-area home. It was the Panera Bread on Sepulveda Boulevard and Manchester Avenue, right on the way to LAX.

"I like the roast beef sandwich on asiago bread, although the Greek salad is also a favorite," said Johnson, a former NFL wide receiver who earned a Super Bowl championship ring while playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But a new Panera is vying for Johnson's attentions, and with good reason: He's the co-owner.

Under the auspices of First Picks Management, a business venture whose name conjures up thoughts both of fresh produce and sports-team drafts, Johnson is the mover and shaker behind the opening of the first Panera location in Ventura County — and the first of 12 such franchises he and First Picks hope to open in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties by 2011.

Tucked between Buca di Beppo and Old Navy in the Janss Marketplace (205 N. Moorpark Road, Suite N, Thousand Oaks; 496-BAKE), the region's inaugural Panera features soups, sandwiches and pizzas called Crispanis. Its pastries and artisanal-style breads are arranged in displays that rival the visual opulence of French patissiere-boulangeries.

The "fast-casual" bakery-cafe opened quietly last weekend, then with an official bang on Monday. Johnson plans to be in attendance for the by-invitation-only ribbon-cutting and reception scheduled to take place tonight. But area residents can expect to see more of him in the future: Johnson and company already are well on the way to opening a second Panera in October, in Simi Valley's Sycamore Plaza. Still on the "coming soon" list on the group's Web site are unspecified locations in Newbury Park, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

That should give Johnson plenty of new Paneras from which to choose when he moves to Calabasas, where he is building a house. None is exactly on the way to LAX, of course. But as he pushes Panera into Central Coast territory, Johnson may find himself falling under the "Casablanca"-style charms of the Santa Barbara Airport.

SIGNS OF CHANGE: You win some, you lose some. As Panera was nearing its opening date, the Thousand Oaks Hungry Hunter located less than a block away was closing its doors after 35 years of serving steaks, clam chowder and salads created tableside via spinning bowls of vegetables. The official reason given for the closure was that the lease had expired. But a Ventura County Environmental Health Division inspection of the site in January found inoperable food storage equipment and damaged walls and surfaces. (The building's wood exterior also is rotting away in spots.) Posted to its glittering, beveled glass doors this week were signs thanking customers for their patronage and inviting them to try the Hungry Hunter in Ventura (648-5146). Someone named Sue has added a photocopied sign of her own, thanking "all my loyal regulars who hung in there with me for over 16 years." (The sign includes her phone number, if you'd like to get together sometime.)

Also closed up tight is the El Torito at Seaward Avenue and Alessandro Drive in Ventura. Posted on its vibrant purple doors are signs informing visitors that the lease expired on June 17. Potential customers are advised to instead dine at the El Torito in Oxnard (485-4887) or the Acapulco in Ventura (644-3952). Left unsaid is that, as recently as last fall, Extended Stay Hotels was considering building an Extended Stay Deluxe where the empty El Torito now stands between a hillside and the Seaward Avenue offramp. The South Carolina-based hotel operator withdrew its plans in September. But still going strong next door is Golden China Restaurant (652-0688), where they have karaoke seven nights a week.

Hovering somewhere between open and closed is the former Tony Roma's on Daily Drive in Camarillo. Shuttered in September, the building has since been gutted. Taped to the front window is a copy of a liquor license application with Yamato Restaurant listed as the tenant-to-be. The chain of Japanese restaurants already has locations in Agoura Hills, Encino, Laguna Hills and Valencia.

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Lisa Corbett and Theresa Henuber, new owners of Dream Dinners in Ventura, will be on hand for the grand reopening of the Victoria Village location (1413 S. Victoria Ave., Suite B; 644-4478) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Festivities will include flank-steak giveaways and a contest for a freezer filled with 12 Dream Dinners meals. Still in the midst of remodeling is the shuttered Dream Dinners site in Camarillo Plaza, which has been purchased by Rod and Kristin Horrell, owners of the Dream Dinners in West Hills.

IN REVIEW: For restaurant critic Rita Moran's thoughts on Suki 7 in Thousand Oaks, see Time Out in Thursday's Star.

— E-mail Lisa McKinnon at lmckinnon@VenturaCountyStar.com.