Panera claims a great title: largest free Wi-Fi hotspot network: In a press release today, Panera says its network of 325 free Wi-Fi hotspots is the largest such free network. They plan to have 500 stores out of 637 current outlets unwired within 12 months. An additional 140 to 150 stores will open this year, and Wi-Fi is planned as part of their design. The press release has metrics on performance: ...the average total online time per bakery/cafe has increased three-fold over the last twelve months. Internal research indicates that of the hundreds of thousands of customer accesses over the last year, the average connect time is one hour.

Interestingly, there's no dollars-to-time ratio: are folks spending 10 percent more who use Wi-Fi? 100 percent more? Less? We don't know, but we must expect that they do. (Update: Here's a story from Mobile Pipeline that quotes the chairman and CEO saying, "Offering free Wi-Fi Internet access is keeping our customers in our stores longer -- primarily during off-peak hours -- and bringing them back more often," he said. Still no dollars, but at least an affirmative statement.)

Off-peak hours is the mantra of the retail hotspot establishments: they're eager to fill seats when they're empty.

Nominations welcome for other free hotspot networks that rival Panera's, but I think they may have the claim. Best Western and other hotel chains are rolling out free high-speed Internet access, but they are generally available only to guests, and often incorporate a lot of in-room wired service except in newer installations.