As the school year comes to an end, so does eating the same old bagged lunch everyday. With warmer weather comes the desire to ditch our home cooked meals and opt for a nice meal  with friends. But the restaurants in Stamford have been getting really boring, right? Rotating between Volta, Lucky’s and Buffalo Wild Wings has gotten pretty repetitive, especially when cities like Greenwich and Westport have such a large variety. I think it’s fair to say that we all want a change, so here are five restaurants that I believe we teens would love to have in Stamford:

Panera Bread

A casual American cafe offering great dishes at a reasonable price, Panera Bread is perfect for Stamford, a city full of students on a budget. Panera is best known for their amazing sandwiches, salads, soups and their signature Mac & Cheese. Since the Darien location was shut down a few months ago the nearest location is in Norwalk, which is a long drive for most. Since Stamford is lacking a casual cafe, opening a Panera Bread would give us a nice change of cuisine.

Blaze Pizza

With only two locations in Connecticut (New Haven and Storrs), Blaze Pizza is a restaurant that us teenagers really need in Stamford. Founded in Pasadena, California, Blaze Pizza is a fast-casual dining chain that allows customers to make your own pizza. Customers pay one reasonable price and are then allowed to add as many toppings as they want to their pizza. And these aren’t just normal toppings; some of these toppings include specialties like applewood bacon, artichokes, ovalini mozzarella and goat cheese. And for those with dietary restrictions, Blaze Pizza also offers vegan cheese and gluten-free crusts!

Chipotle Mexican Grill

A favorite amongst most high school students, Chipotle Mexican Grill is a Mexican fast food chain with over 2,000 locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Germany. Chipotle is best known for giving people a taste of Mexican food without an overwhelming amount of spice and flavor. Though they are best known for their burritos and guacamole, Chipotle also offers many other options such as corn tacos, flour tacos and salads.  And not only is Chipotle a reasonably priced chain, but they also offer free drinks for those who bring their student IDs. What more could you ask for?

Sonic Drive-In

A classic in the South, Sonic Drive-In is an American fast-food chain based in Oklahoma. What makes Sonic so special is that rather than going into the restaurant, you can sit outside or pull in to the parking lot with your car, where you will be served by waiters and waitresses on roller blades. In addition to this unique dining experience, Sonic offers a variety of basic American foods with a more exciting twist. For example, their side options include not only french fries, but also Ched “R” Peppers (cheddar filled fried jalapeno peppers), cheese covered Tots, chili fries and popcorn chicken. In addition, they also have a variety of drink options including Limeades, Slushies, Sonic Shakes, Sonic Blasts (ice cream blends) and the Master Blast. And the best part is yet to come; every day from 2-4p.m. Sonic holds Happy Hour, where all drinks (slushies included!) and sides are half off. And to top it off, they offer a late night happy hour, where all shakes and ice creams are half off after 8pm!

Chick-fil-A

Another restaurant rarely found in Connecticut, Chick-fil-A is an American fast food chain centered specializing in chicken sandwiches. Not only is this unique chain known for their variety of relatively healthy chicken sandwiches, nuggets, wraps and salads, but they are best known for their Waffle Potato Fries. Though it upsets many that they are closed every Sunday, Chick-fil-A has been rapidly gaining popularity over the last four years, especially amongst the younger crowd, which is exactly why Stamford needs to open one!