Panera Bread

Reviews 5

JA

James Walker

I havent been to a Panera in 18 months (though we have had a My Panera card for years) because they have become pricey with small portions. Their theme seems to be were going to give you less for higher price because we are serving "healthy" food that will make you live forever -- if that is what you want to do. So being unfamiliar with most of the sandwiches I asked the cashier about the Italian (first step on a slippery slope to a mundane, tasteless lunch). She had to look it up on a reference sheet and I became glassy eyed with my mind beginning to wander as she read the list of ingredients. What I failed to hear was, "This is not a Subway. We are going to charge a lot more for a Pick 2 consisting of a very thick (just try to take a bite of this and if you can your picture will go on our nonexistent wall of fame) roll about 4 inches long with compressed meat felt like a thick slice of mystery meat." But all is not lost, right? Wrong! The sizable bowl with "they call this a cup" of chicken noodle soup to the rescue! NOT. I swear half of my half ladle must have splashed out in their haste to get the tasteless, smidgen of mayo, 4 inch bready sandwich to me. I wanted to yell, "who got the rest of my chicken noodle soup". I tore apart the tiny sandwich to try to salvage anything hidden within and hastily downed what amounted to about 5 spoons of soup and nearly fell out of my seat when I looked at the price. In summary, there was a time when Panera was good. Panera was know for having a creative menu with very tasty food at a good price. Friends, I believe those days are gone. They have gone the way of the Starbucks ideology of $7.00 specialty drinks that leave you wishing you would have stopped at a C-store and just got a cup of Joe. They have dropped in service, portions and tasty food and risen in price. I predict that Panera is going downhill and will become a "once upon a time" story in the annuals of yesteryear restaurants of America.

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MA

Mary Thomason

I love rich, fattening food, so friends and family have to drag me kicking and screaming into Panera Bread, but when I enter the spotless restaurant, smell the fresh baked bread, and am greeted by friendly (and patient!) employees, I wonder why I don’t go more often. Panera takes the guesswork out of eating light: they post the number of calories beside each of their sandwiches, soups, and salads. I ordered the Pick Two – half Asian Chicken Sesame Salad and half bacon Turkey bravo sandwich (400 calories), but lusted after my daughter’s Pick Two - Chicken Soba Noodle Salad with a cup of Chicken Noodle Soup – because it was prettier and as it turned out, healthier (75 fewer calories). But my salad, while not as attractive, did not disappoint. The almonds, sesame seeds and wonton strips guaranteed a crunch in every bite, and the bottomless glass of serve-yourself iced tea was also a treat. Downside: Standing at the counter deciding what to order made me nervous (all those hungry patrons stacked up behind me!), my turkey sandwich was a little dry, and the cost - 13 cents shy of $12 – made for an expensive lunch. I tried Panera’s turkey and kale panini on another visit and thought it needed more kale and less turkey, but the Asian Chicken Salad was very fresh and the free apple was a nice touch. Panera is a healthy oasis in the chaotic jumble of America’s chain restaurants, and if I was strong enough to bypass the fried, sauced, battered, buttered and otherwise fattening (and oftentimes unhealthy) entrees at other restaurants and eat at Panera, I am pretty sure my extra pounds would melt away. 4.8

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MI

michael westfall

I went in to buy some bagels last week on bakers dozen Tuesday about 2pm and you only had three of the kind of bagels I wanted. You cant sell them if you dont make them. I bought the three and when I got home and prepared one the next day(my wife and I like to share one) it was apparent that these bagels were about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the bagels we had been purchasing in the past. I went in today (Bakers dozen Tuesday) and asked to see a bagel before buying any and they were again the reduced size. I spoke with a manager who said he had only been with the company for about 5 months and hadnt noticed the difference. He then told me that the store didnt make the bagels only baked them and that they came from a central supply. My wife and I are retired, have noticed the difference, and as a result, by effectively increasing the price of the product I am receiving by 1/3 to 1/2 I no longer will be buying your bagels. We are on a fixed income and your falling in line with the rest of the food supplying world(restaurants and grocery stores) you are being very unfair buy essentially raising your prices. You werent cheap to start with and now you have become snug with your success. TOO BAD!

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WI

William Parmley

We went to Panera yesterday for lunch and our experience was a good one. There were two cashiers working so the wait to order was minimal. My wife and I split a whole turkey avocado BLT sandwich (much cheaper than ordering two half-sandwiches) and it was very good. The sandwich was prepared quickly. I do like the design of the restaurant, which I guess could be described as "modern minimalist," and the large windows provide lots of light. Free WiFi is a nice feature too, and they do take Android Pay, which I appreciate. (For some reason, swiping a phone seems to much more convenient than digging a credit card out of my billfold.) This was a pleasant change from the fast-food burger places, yet quicker than going to some place such as Bob Evans if you are in a hurry. My only complaint is the design of their parking lot, which is not unique to this Panera. Their restaurants always seem to be shoehorned into some odd corner of a shopping area so that entrance/exit is somewhat difficult and the layout is less than optimal. I think every Panera weve ever visited has had this issue. Not a big enough issue to take away a star, though.

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CH

Chris Mccutcheon

This place is completely dysfunctional. I always bring in my employees to this place for meetings and other corporate events. However, every time I seem to come to this location they seem to be out of bread. Last I checked was this restaurant not called panera bread company for a reason. I believe it is because they sell bread although I could be wrong. Tonight was my 3rd attempt to order from this place and they are again out of bread and tomato soup but offered to substitute chips and apples with soup. Who eats apples with soup first of all. I believe there is a management issue at this location as I used to be a restaurant General Manager myself and I know about all of the reports and trends you have to run daily to see how your sales were for that day and compare those reports to last FY... This is ridiculous.

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