Oh dear. Our Panera closed in the aftermath of the pandemic, it was a popular spot but they couldn’t staff it reliably anymore. And the others just aren’t convenient for me to just pop in to or meet a friend. But if one is available I do like to go, and if we are onma road trip, we like them for lunch if there's one not too far from the highway.

It muwt be difficult to operate under this weekend's conditions. Imagine having to keep track of chargew, gift cards, and taxes.

I don't know. Maybe we should step back from all the technology? Why are we always in a rush?

We had a Panera’s for a brief time in the next town over. We enjoyed going but it just wasn’t managed correctly because it appeared busy enough.

It seems like every other week some company is hacked like that, either for disruption or profit—- and those are just the known incidences , it may be happening on a massive scale under the public radar.

I do think the franchise generally is mismanaged. All the Paneras in Atlanta I have been in are filthy unless they are less than a year old. The last time I ate in one (newly opened, clean and beautiful) the cream of chicken and rice soup was as thick as custard, the apple was mealy and they had switched to Pepsi products 🤢

Pepsi in Atlanta? Not a decision made by a local! :)

I used to love Panera and the pick 2 option but this was many years ago. Ever since the push to use the kiosks I've been turned off and agree with Kswl they seem poorly managed now. The one close to me is clean-ish but not great. Eld I am with you on the technology - every business wants you to have their app - no thanks.

Deegw… right??

Ours is gross, too, with bad service. And obscenely overpriced for what you get.

But most of all, I can’t forgive them for taking my beloved corn soup off the menu, and that turkey sandwich that had apples on it.

I just went to my local Panera’s website and got this:

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ETA: There’s a /Panera board on Reddit I just discovered, mainly employees posting … they say Panera is going to start using frozen bread. They’ve laid off bakers here in Texas and are testing to see how it goes.

Regarding the site being down, no one knows what’s going on.

Hadn't heard that. I quit going to Panera years ago after a lousy bowl of soup in a dirty facility.

I'm surprised by how many of you say you've been to ones that aren't managed well. I didn't realize that it's a franchise model, I thought they all were corporate. After some digging, I see that Panera sells markets, not individual cafes.

Always thought our Panera looked dirty. A friend would always want to meet there.

I actively boycott any business that uses Pepsi products. 🤮🤣 Seriously. A few years ago Which Which switched to Pepsi and I was so sad bc they are located in a shopping area I love, and would eat there a couple of times a month with a big diet coke. When I expressed my shock and sadness (🤣) the guy behind the counter said, ”don’t worry, we got you.” And voila-showed me a small beverage fridge behind the counter filled with cokes and diet cokes! Apparently I’m not the only one…and the franchise owner cared about his customers! 🥹 Very loyal now, and it does make me feel cool asking for my ”behind the counter” beverage. Like a speakeasy or something! 🤣

oh, and forgot to say that nothing about Panera is worth drinking Pepsi…that was an easy one to skip

I haven't encountered the cleanliness issue but I'm not there on any kind of regular basis. The closest is an hour away. We began going when doing other shopping when a friend had been ordering salads for large office meeting lunches at her business and shared some - they were pretty wonderful, well done.

I do find the soups packaged and sold at other grocery outlets and picked up a large one serving sized container of the chicken/wild rice for myself just last week. I enjoyed it. I do have a Panera 'club card' here somewhere but buried and never use it.

Sigh. I like the green goddess chicken salad.

I thought you were talking about the potential carve out exemption to pay their workers minimum wage, but apparently this will not be happening. Maybe that's why they can't find workers!

Wow. I rarely go to one, but there are a few in the area and occasionally I think of them as a decent place to sit and chat with a friend. ( This is what Starbucks USED to be , in my brain but they are less and less comfy). It's nice to be able to sit and chat, especially in the inclement weather, and not necessarily have to do lunch. With that, Panera always fit the bill. It has been quite a while since I have ordered any food there. Mostly I just get coffee but the nice part is being able to sit and not feel that you are taking advantage of a wait person's chance to earn tips.

All the Panera's that I've visited over the years were always clean and orderly.

I just don't think of them so rarely go.

Has this tech chaos been resolved yet? That could really do a company in!

There are several Paneras near me and as Salonva described they've always been a nice place to sit with a friend over coffee. Once a month 4 or 5 of us stop there after our 8 am Aqua boot camp for coffee and a bagel. They have always been clean and we never feel rushed.

I wasn't aware of any IT issues. Haven't been for some time because the food was not good more than once. I used to enjoy their pick 2 and soups, but the comment about thick as custard was spot on with one of my experiences - so obviously prepackaged and not handled properly. The nearest one is close to the high school my sons went to, 10-15 min away, but in a direction I don't travel that often. The last one I went to was between my house and the school where DS teaches -- picking up lunch for him on the way. Come to think of it, I think they had an IT issue at least at that store before. I had to go in to order. I'd like to see them turn around. It's a nice concept. The ones I've been in have all been clean and nice -- just having food or service issues -- or both.

I'm so surprised to read so many comments about Panera being dirty. The ones here (NJ) are clean. Panera is also high on my 'place to stop for a bathroom' when on road trip.

We eat Panera a lot in the spring/summer when son and husband are playing adult league baseball. We place order with app for both breakfast and lunch before leaving home. There are no less than 3 Paneras around my house, so there's always one on the way depending on which direction we're headed. Eat breakfast in car on the way to the field and sandwiches/salads go in cooler for lunch between games.

It's the only "fast food" we eat.

If they don't fix their app ordering before baseball season, that's going to be a problem!

Same-- our paneras are all clean and comfortable. I don't go there often but it is reliable for a quick salad or soup and I especially enjoy getting a coffee or iced tea and sitting outside. I don't expect fast food to have homemade soups so maybe my bar is low -- but it is fast food after all.

The one here in my town is the oldest in the area-- it has to be at least 15 yr old -- probably closer to 20 yr.

Funny, i would rather drink nothing than to have diet coke. It is way too sweet Bleh. I am team pepsi all the way!

I love Pepsi, too, Funky! What’s wrong with drinking it?

Nothing is wrong with drinking it. Besides the whole empty calories and chemicals thing : )

The Atlanta area is the home to the Coca-Cola headquarters and museum. Pepsi versus Coke is like a college football rivalry. I knew KSWL lives near ATL so I commiserated with her about the Coke to Pepsi change at her Panera. If a vendor/restaurant retailer in GA has to choose one soda brand, they will most likely pick Coke because of its popularity.

Thanks, deegw. Since Nini boycotts Pepsi I was afraid of something even worse than calories and chemicals. My brother lives in the Atlanta area too.

Funny, i would rather drink nothing than to have diet coke. It is way too sweet Bleh. I am team pepsi all the way!

Totally agree. Back when I drank diet soda, I did not like Diet Coke at all. I too found it way too sweet.

Haven't had a diet soda in probably 30 years. I used to drink a lot of it but quit cold turkey one day because I was getting headaches and doctor thought that might be the cause.

I don’t drink pop at Panera. I get one of their cold teas and add Sierra Mist. Okay, I lied, Sierra Mist is pop. But it turns the tea into a sparkler.

All the Paneras I have been in are clean, even the one at O’Hare airport. And many have a community room that you can reserve. Those, and the restaurant itself, have been popular for mah jongh, clubs (teens and adults), interviews, meetings, tutoring, besides long chats among friends. We really miss ours.

🤣 Oh gosh, I only boycott Pepsi bc I personally do not like the taste compared to DC! Nothing else…I just get put out when a restaurant for some reason switches to Pepsi 🤣