Panera Bread

This is one of those franchises that started off amazing and now is just so-so. I remember when Panera first opened. I used to crave their food and probably had it at least once a week. Now, it's something I'll have when I'm really hungry and they are the closest option. I chose to go in today simply because they were next door to the other business I was in. They are conveniently located in a small strip mall and there is usually no problem with parking. The store is clean and it's a lot easier with the self serve ordering. I had the half sandwich and cup of soup. For the sandwich, I had the turkey. For starters, their bread tastes like it is only halfway cooked. The meat is just some processed turkey meat. Not fresh turkey. I don't recommend the turkey. For soup, I had the c

Wow.. Their toasted bread tore my mouth apart. . Their coffee tasted like water, and had more grounds than liquid.. I had to pour itout. . something about chewing coffee flavored crunchy water. But the cashier was nice

**The Panera Betrayal: A Descent Into Flavorless Despair** I ordered the bacon mac and cheese at Panera, and what arrived can only be described as a crime against comfort food. The "bacon" was completely absent. Not hiding under the pasta, not mixed in, not even a memory of bacon. It simply did not exist. This was like ordering a cheeseburger and receiving a bun filled with disappointment. The taste was somehow worse than the missing bacon. The cheese sauce had the consistency of elementary school paste and the flavor profile of cardboard that had been left in the rain. I've eaten mac and cheese in a hospital after surgery, while heavily medicated and unable to taste anything properly, and that was a Michelin-starred experience compared to this beige catastrophe. The pasta was simultane

Panera is a great place to grab drinks or small snacks. They also have some lighter meals which are fairly healthy. The space is open and well wet, as a nice place to hang out and work as well. It is in Gateway, down near REI.

Every single time I pick up orders at this location, the staff are moving like they have no care in the world. Every time, there are 3 or 4 customers, and again no one is any kind of hurry to get the orders out. But the staff is having a good time ignoring orders and laughing and cutting up. Just this week ive been here 3 or 4 times, always the same. I also work in management at a restaurant. Wont be accepting orders here anymore.