Panera Bread
reviews and complaints

I was at the Panera Bread at 450 Boylston St.in Boston around 9:45 this morning (09/04/18) and ordered a cinnamon crunch bagel sliced and toasted. There was no line and the cafe was pretty empty. My buzzer went off and I went to get my bagel, but when I sat down and opened the bag I saw an everything bagel unsliced and not toasted. I went back to the counter, attempted three times to talk to someone before I got the attention of someone who, when I said my order was wrong, simply pointed to someone else behind the counter. He grabbed my bag, walked away, and a few minutes later, came back, tossed the bag haphazardly on the counter, and walked away without saying a word or making eye contact. According to Panera's policy, "Your order should be correct every time. If it's not, we'll fix it right away, and give you a free treat for your trouble. Just let any associate know." I was never offered anything for the incorrect order, and nobody said a single word to me during the entire process, let alone even make eye contact. Given that the cafe was not busy - it was between the breakfast and lunch rushes - and that it was a quick and simple fix, I was very dissatisfied with the way this was handled. It seems like more often than not, my order is incorrect with Panera and as someone with severe allergies, this is greatly concerning. I would appreciate a refund of this request.

The Burbank, IL café location (79th & Harlem Ave.) has taken the penny-crunching
and non-sensible step of removing all napkin dispensers except for a solitary one in the far back of the building.
This has led to inconvenience and greater mess in all areas (except in the far back) of
the café. It's strange that although I regularly read the papers, I read nothing about the Great Napkin Shortage of 2018.

I have been to many Panera Bread locations before but this one was by far the worst! Their floor and tables were disgusting. The operators of the cash register were not friendly and do not know the menu. The bathrooms were DISGUSTING. When speaking to the manager we asked him if he was in fact the manager and he says "sometimes". He was in fact the manager at the time and we complained about the bathroom and he said "I'll get someone right on that". We mentioned it wasn't going to be a quick clean. That place needed to be scrubbed. If the bathroom was that bad I can't imagine what the back of the house looked like. I would avoid this place and the owner of this location. Such lower standards

We dined on 9/1/18 at your Winchester, VA location and nothing ever changes. The biggest problem is we've never gotten a hot bowl of soup. We've dined there several times and the soup is never hot enough that I can't stick my finger in it comfortably. We've discussed this with management several times but to no avail. With the invention of a device called a microwave, no diner should ever get a warm bowl of soup. No excuse! The next problem is your high prices. We ordered 2 half sandwiches, two small soups and two teas and it comes to $27. We're talking a half sandwich with no meat on it and two warm bowls of soup. How can you justify that outrageous price? With all the competition, that is too much money for the little bit of food you serve. A full refund would be fair as we never plan on visiting your business for lukewarm soup and an overpriced menu. And $5 for two cookies is highway robbery.

It is sad that I am looking up Panera's Corporate Headquarters during the time I should be eating and enjoying the food I just bought from the Panera Bread located in Garner NC. However, the customer service has annoyed me so many times that I finally decided to stop to see if others are having the same problem. What I have found is rather disturbing. It is not just one location. But all Panera Bread location are treating their customers with bad service. The complaint list just goes on and on. I want to address this complaint to corporate. Corporate please take notes about your complaints! Find what is wrong because you do have a good product. A good product without good customer service will not make a business work or help the bottle line/profit. Find other customer service models to emulate such as Chick-fil-A. For example, Chick-fil-A will not say "Does that complete your order?" over and over but rather "What else can I serve you with?" This is just one tip that could bring customers rather than lose customers. However, your customer service model needs a complete overhaul. Your CEO needs to quickly get around the conference table to discuss solutions.

At or around 7:45pm, I had entered the Bread Company establishment on the property located at Lindberg and Clayton road, The same property, that holds the Plaza Frontenac Mall, in Saint Louis, Missouri.

I ordered a bagel, bread sliced. The young African American employee who took employee was both rude and confrontational during this process. I believe this employee wore braces. When I presented my debit card to pay for my order, he began to speak, as if he were giving demands. "Is that a gift card? slide it!"

When I turned to walk away, he demanded that I complete the order process. The screen prompt asked if I wanted to leave a tip. I entered, "no."

When I sat down with my order. This same employee walked over to my table and loudly stated, "Your card was declined!" There were 3 other patrons that looked over at my table.

I responded, "No, it was not."

He loudly stated again, "Your card was declined!"

I walked back to station that held the original transaction. I studied the screen, it was asking for $1.52 for the bagel and if I wanted to leave a tip. I used the same debit card and watched the screen and it stated: Approved. Just as it did in the previous process.

I asked the rude employee, "Why did you call me up here?"

He stated, "Your card was declined!"

"Then how do you explain, the process being approved, with the same debit card?' I asked.

"Your card was declined!"He stated loudly.

There was another African American employee who I noticed was smirking at me during the interaction. He was taller and worked in the section near the pastries and bagels.

Flustered by this experience from the employees, I left minutes later as I walked out the door, the taller African American employee bellowed:"I hope you enjoyed this!"

In the four years I've worked as a public safety officer at the mall, I have never had any of your employees treat me in this rude manner.in fact, until yesterday, on Sept. 1, 2018, this has been my only negative experience with your establishment. Please address this issue as soon as you are able, and please verify, that I was not charged twice for the same order. If the employee was trying to pull some kind of prank for the amusement, I am not amused. If he attempted to use my purchase to fund himself, please look closely at this activities.

Please contact the manager immediately at Panera Bread Company of the activities of these employees.

I await your response.

Sincerely,

David K. Roberson

My daughter and I visited the store on Smokey-hill in Aurora tonight 9-1-2018 about 7:00pm I ordered a Cob Salad of which most of the items in it were frozen. We both ordered the 1/2 Italian sandwich of which my daughter found a label from the prepackage of sliced meat. But the bigger concern was the soda machine which the drain pan was plugged and there was Mold in it. I brought this to the attention of a worker she stated they were aware but no one was attending to the problem or at least put an out of order sign on it. The last few times I have went to this store the quality of the food and service has been in decline. I looked around and it was the same both times that the store was left to teenagers to run. Thinking of myself and most teens they will work if they have adult supervision to keep order to the job to be done. Most are there to collect a pay check and if left to do so that is all they will give and it shoes in the food. I was a work lead had ten people working for me in power production so I understand in the currant employment it is hard to hire people who care about what there doing so with what you have the need an adult at all times.

I ordered the strawberry poppyseed salad but you were out of dressing so I ordered another dressing and the salad tasted awful. I think I should have been advised the salad doesn't taste good without the dressing or to order a sweet dressing to go with the salad and then I could have chosen something else. I also got a tiny piece of bread and had to pay to get another.in all the years I've been eating (10+) at Panera, this is the first time I've been disappointed.

I visited Panera at Fairfield Commons mall in Beavercreek, OH for the second time just after noon on 8/31/18 with colleagues and was sweating like a pig both times. Panera charges a lot for food, but seems to want to save on air conditioning bill. Both times it was too hot on a hot day (close to 90 degrees). Not sure why they don't have air conditioning running at proper temperature, but as a result I won't go back to that location.

Further, the Green Goddess Salad was terrible, not even real bacon. Prior to that I had wilted lettuce in my Cesar Salad at the Greene Mall in Beavercreeek, OH. Please refund my money for both terrible salads, to this address (shown below), as I was with colleagues all 3 times and didn't want to make a fuss in front of them. I'm not sure I kept the receipts :

Glynda Finister
4357 Frontenac Dr.
Beavercreek, OH 45440
Cell [protected]

Sincerely,

About two weeks ago I ordered a chicken Caesar salad through Rapid Pick Up like I normally do. That was the first time that they forgot to put the chicken, so I called the restaurant and told the manager. She was super nice and said, I'm sorry, and then she asked for my address to send me a voucher. I never received any voucher.

Then last week, the same thing happened again. Chicken Caesar salad but no chicken. This time I walked back to the restaurant to let them know and to give me a salad that had some chicken. They were like oh sorry about that and off I went. Not even a free cookie to make it right.

So basically I got screwed over twice. The first time I was suppose to get a voucher and never got anything and the second time I wasted half my lunch break walking back to get the right order. The only reason I don't [censored] them out is because I order there almost everyday and I don't want anyone spitting in my food.

The service today @ panera bread watchung was unbelievable. Our food was thrown up on the countertop by a manager! No one should ever have to feel like the food that they are about to eat is also going to be thrown at them. She was rude & disrespectful how disgusting is that for a manager to throw food @ people. My family eats at panera all the time. Who is this person to do that. The other workers there treated us better & here this person calls herself a manager? She should be ashamed of her self. I told my wife I don't think we will be coming back to that panera unless the services change. Hire better employees with positive attitudes!

Hello,

Let me preface by saying I have never submitted a written complaint before at any establishment. However, my service and product was substandard for Panera Bread.

Trouble began at the counter with the young lady who took my order. I explicitly explained I wanted NO cheese on my bbq chicken flatbread or chicken Caesar salad. This was reflected on the receipt for the flatbread, but not the salad. Also, the young lady was very disconcerting to a fellow coworker that was off-putting from a customer service standpoint.

My order had cheese on both parts of the order, and the flatbread had almost no meat on it whatsoever.

I understand that it was late in the evening at 7:30, but standards need to be maintained at all times or the hours of operation should be cut.

I don't want a refund, credit, or gift card. I wish to see the standards maintained at all times. I could easily visit another establishment for the $16 I paid and gotten a full meal or almost 2... I am a young professional that wishes to see other young adults care about the service they create for every customer and realize that each order has a dollar value attached to it. The service and product should reflect that responsibility. Again, I like Panera, but this is a troubling reminder that I should not visit an establishment at later hours in the day.

Thank you for your time. I hope this can be a learning experience and not a punishment on anyone.

Best regards

It seems like every single time that I go here, I get shorted either bacon, avocado, pickles, chips... every single time. I don't know why I have to pay so much for a sandwich without everything I want on it. Would appreciate an acknowledgement of some sort. After all, this is the most expensive lunch restaurant in my town. I do love the healthy sandwiches and certainly don't want to stop ordering from this location. We have conferences in which we have catered by Panera. I may need to have someone else begin catering them.

During the past year I have had four occasions wherein I have ordered a salad through the drive through and it ends up not having any chicken on the salad as requested. The receipt reflects chicken but there is no chicken on the salad. This has always occurred at the Festus, MO store between 6:00 am and 6:30 am so I assume it is a drive thru problem. I have never received a refund as I have not taken the time to go back into the store and have only discovered the absence of chicken when I go to open the salad at lunch time. The convenience of drive through is not paying off. Thank you.

I was last in line and their counter person decided to help other cashier instead of helping me or even acknowledge my presence in line. I had to wait till Trina hopped on and asked how my day was. I said terrible due to the fact above. Then she replied dryly there are self serve kiosks over there. I said that really helps with customer service. She didnt even take my name I was referred to as that guy in the black shirt. Solution... Retrain managers to know that the only reason they have work is due to customers. If they cannot get their staff to know this then business is lost

My wife and I had to wait 15 minutes for a drink that usually takes less than 5 to make whenever we go there normally. When the shorter, older gray-haired lady working on it asked everyone if they needed anything, I replied I will still waiting on my drink, to which she got snooty about. And when I finally got my frozen mocha, it was basically chocolate milk.

I ordered rapid pick-up on 8/28/18 at 11:29 am for myself and a couple of coworkers, 1 sandwich and side was missing from the bag, called to advise panera the order was wrong and was told by manager shannon that I would have to come in to pick up the missing sandwich at which point she said "of course it will be free" even though I had already paid and no money was refunded so not sure how this was free. I sent a co-worker for my missing sandwich since I had used up my lunch break already and still had no lunch. Coworker came back complaining how rude the manager was and to top it off my caprese sandwich had no mozzarella. That's the most important part of a caprese sandwich. I feel that it was left off intentionally. It was the saddest looking sandwich i've ever seen, I even took a pic of it. I called customer service and they were very nice but I will never be going back to this panera location in south portland, maine. I feel they should have refunded my money., especially since once I finally received the sandwich it was wrong.

Went into pick up an order on 8/28 - 7 people in line at cash register to take orders - Since this store opened call in orders have always been told to pick up order at the desert/roll registers. Went in and was rudely told I had to wait in ordering line, when I explained I was there to pick up an order - I was rudely told the same thing. I waited in line and then was rudely told by the cash register person in the ordering line that I had to wait there - I explained I was there to pick up an order that was previously placed and still told in no uncertain terms I had to wait in the ordering line. Seeing that the order was placed 20 minutes before that I don't see any reason why I should have to wait in a line where new orders are being taken for another 25 minutes of waiting time. This is not acceptable and should not be allowed - 2 people at registers with no one there and I still have to wait 25 minutes to pick up a previously placed order. I really don't think the food is worth and hour wait so I probably won't be ordering here again.

To whom it may concern,
I was very disappointed in my experience at one of your stores. Recently having a death in the family, just needing some comforting food & relying on panera to come through for us... Ryan the manager in duty did not have any consideration for our situation. We had placed an order rapid pick up at 12:45p, we had asked several employees about our order number when we got there at
1 o'clock and they said it should be coming soon, then to find out they said they didn't have our order at all, almost 30 minutes later, we left, then had to come back because the order had been placed there, which we found out from our mother who placed it for us, & was scheduling it over her lunch break.
Ryan the manager said because of the $400 order that they had over lunch, that is why our wait was an hour long. He shared no concern
For us at all. We asked if he could give us any discount off our 6 person order for the wait, & he didn't think that was necessary. I've worked in the restaurant/hospitality industry for over 20 years & it seem that ryan has very poor management & people skills. Our experience was very disappointing, especially at that time.

Thank you for your time,
C. Thone

Chipotle chicken avocado melt

This is my all time favorite sandwich on panera's menu. I have ordered countless times. However the last two times I have been very upset with the sandwich. Yesterday when I ordered the sandwich, it was completely cold. The cheese was not melted at all and the sandwich wasn't stuck together. Every time I order, the sandwich is too hot to eat so it has to cool before I can eat it. This time it was completely cold. I had to bake it in my oven when I got home and then it was good. The time before this it was the same thing, although the cheese was slightly melted but the sandwich still wasn't how it normally is. I have ordered from this specific panera at least 10 times and it was great but the last 2 times for some reason my sandwich has been cold. Maybe there's something wrong with the sandwich toaster, but I would appreciate you reaching out to them. I didn't ask for a reciept and discovered my sandwich being like this right after leaving the drive thru but didn't have time to go inside afterwards to have it fixed. Therefore I cooked it in my oven.