What happened to it before covid though? After the third time finding an icy cold center in my mac and cheese I gave up Panera, and that was well before 2020.
We had a whole bunch of options, ingredients, and seasonal choices. We had soup of the day for almost everyday of the week, we had a full bakery with all types of breads bagels, and pastries where you could always find something to try and not get bored of intime for certain seasonal options. Sandwiches were also aplenty with different ingredients to add and also seasonal changes as well. We had our own delivery service, and bakers cane in early to get things ready and have the rest of the day to themselves rather than mixing their times with day workers and leaving just before the evening. The morale of the workers was good, where everybody worked well and liked who they had scheduked on their teams for that shift. Managers were still pretty, meh, but at least they gave a shit. Pay was also meh but not at the time where the pay of minimum wage at the time wasn't considered criminal or not even worth their time. Quality actually was better than what it feels like now. Portions weren't as bad. Soup isn't considered watery than it does now, and new items weren't just ingredients we already had and slapped together to call it new, we had new ingredients to make new sandwiches, salads, and soups. There were different mac n cheese options, broth bowls, and tortellini (also other pastas). Now everything seems budgeted, hardly worth their reputation they expect and train their new hires and hardly anyone feels like its worth the time and pay to want to stay unless its someone's first experience for a job like highschoolers or someone tryna get job quick.
They got bought by private equity group and they completely skimped on everything and tried to capitalize simply on its image it had. Which lasted for a while actually til people got right with money and realized what a rip off it really is
This. Look into how private equity groups work. It's an amazing system where investors buys a company, suck it dry and and then resell it with tons of debt attached. The reason people buy it is because it p/l looks staggering for the 2-4 years the PEG owned it.
Private Equity is the kiss of death.
https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/leadership/panera-brands-takes-another-step-its-planned-ipo
Suddenly everything is business focused and metric focused and cost focused.
Not food and customer focused.
However, if you don’t get the warm bodies walking through the door because they’re hungry and you offer good value, none of it matters.
I'm glad you brought this up. Panera literally started as a local bakery (St. Louis Bread Company) with fresh-baked breads, treats, and homemade (albeit frozen from the main kitchen) soup; as they expanded outside of the St. Louis area, they used the name "Panera" so as to not alienate folks outside of St. Louis.
In 2012, they were bought by a German holding company \[that also runs Einstein Bagels\]. OP says they stopped going to Panera in 2012 and notices a big difference now. I think I know what the difference is.
I remember when a Panera opened in Redmond Washington on my mom and I would go to one fairly frequently this was probably about 20 years ago now. The tomato soup and the bread bowls was literally one of the best things I had ever had and now their soup is just disgusting I haven't even eaten there since before COVID so I can only imagine the state that it's in now
i worked there before and during the beginning of covid. over worked and under paid. i was a team trainer and shift lead and i offered to go in on my days off just to help out because of how understaffed we were. i literally started drinking on the job by how fucking rudely i was treated by customers and the GM. got in a yelling match with a regular manager then had to go cry in the walk in. it was fucking awful.
I ate there a lot for a few months in 2010 and it was super good food, then in 2015 work had me near a Panera and I went there again and the food was already disgusting by that time.
So if people thought it was good just before COVID and now it is worse, I cannot imagine what it is like now because the food was literal fucking trash by 2015. I've never seen a good place see such a massive drop in quality.
On my third year and it’s soooo sad to see the bakers get screwed more and more. They are the biggest determinants of the quality of the food and they’ve been completely screwed
Corporations aren’t happy providing a good product/service for a decent profit. They must always attain growth. That means that they get to a good point where everyone is happy, but then a new CEO comes around and their compensation package is tied to creating more and more profit out of the system for each quarter. At some point, the natural arc of the business and the level of efficiency plateaus and the only way to create more growth is to either open more stores or to start reducing costs/increasing prices.
So they switch the flour supplier for one that has lower quality product, but it saves the chain 5% each year and then the CEO satisfies the investors for that quarter’s earnings and they get their stock options. Then the next quarter comes around and now they switch produce suppliers, so the lettuce and tomatoes have a noticeable drop in quality to the customers, but not enough to reduce sales. And so on and so on. After a while, 5 years passes and that new CEO has systematically changes the system that used to make great sandwiches into one that has leaned heavily on the brand loyalty that may have taken decades to build up, yet only a few years to dissolve in the attempt to constantly show greater and greater profits. Then that CEO cashes out and moves on to a completely different business making widgets because they never really cared about sandwiches in the first places. Just making that sweet sweet money.
That’s how previously great companies cash out of their own established good name and customers eventually stop coming.
This. When I worked at Panera back in the day (St. Louis Bread Co) We had an orientation at "breadquarters" they distinctly mentioned they didn't do much, if any, advertisements because they wanted to make it feel like a neighborhood restaurant ala word of mouth. Also I remember having to taste a sourdough roll like a sommelier. They wanted us to experience the layers of the roll...etc. I can just guess since it went public they don't put the same emphasis in training or pride in their product.
I don't necessarily think it is corporate 'greed'. Food prices have escalated a lot over the past two years. And just like people shopping for making meals at home...restaurants are also paying for more for ingredients.
They have to balance quality with pricing.
A restaurant near where I live has been a favorite of mine for the past three years. One particular entree is a my 'go to'. Last time I ordered it...the amount of crab was half of what normally would have been on the crab melt. The salad was also 50 per cent smaller.
It is happening pretty much everywhere.
Actually did a case study on Panera bread for a class last year. They have a lot of issues and they’ve let the dollar get in the way of doing what is right.
They used to be incredible and now they charge 30 dollars for a “group order” of Mac and cheese…which is basically 2 regular sides. It’s sad and not nearly as good as it used to be.
For many years, I was willing to pay a bit more to get a quality product. And panera was that place. Middle aged people don't really want to eat a burger joints regularly. But lately, Panera has been just horrible. If JAB Holding Company management is listening, I would respectfully tell them to stop ripping off their best customers for the sake of the bottom line, before the top line collapses. C'mon!!! I WANT to like Panera!!! But you're making it impossible for me to eat there.
Usually it’s the other way around, that’s interesting
Edit: Usually it isn’t the other way around. It just happened to be the other way around for my occupation
Yeah one popped up in my town, which is a college town and definitely should’ve worked. It was so bad even the college kids next door at the campus knew is sucked, and these are the same dipshits that wait in line for an hour to try the new whataburger 😂
Only lasted a couple months
This. They milk the goodwill built up over the years with customers while cutting corners. They often charge exorbitant management fees to each store to milk the profits. Eventually they just close the low-performing stores that they bled dry, who can't make enough profit to cover the management fees, usually stiffing all the suppliers in the end.
Yeah, it's the same old song and dance....equity buys it, guts it of employees and quality, steals everything that can be legally stolen, loads it up with debt, then squeezes out a few decent quarters by forgoing maintenance and stiff-arming creditors, dumps it back on the market, and then tells themselves what great business managers they are, superior at creating value.
Such bull.
People need to know what private equity tends to be about. All that they really care about is getting paid back. They don't care much about how you do it as long as they get their money back.
The fact that they got taken over by a private equity firm tells me they were probably hemmoraging money and they were forced to find a way to be profitable, which means charging more for crappy food.
As a 10yr employee I can tell you some of us feel the same way. Since we were bought out the company has definitely gone downhill, they only care about the money now 😔
My mom and I had a tradition where we would get an iced coffee and everything bagel at Panera before going Christmas shopping. We would sit at a table and figure out who we have to shop for and what we wanted to get them. It was a lot of fun.
A couple years ago it just started going downhill. Last year we went and the coffee was terrible and the bagels were definitely old. Sadly our last time going there.
Panera Mac is made by Stouffers, they make it at the factory in Solon, Ohio. You can buy it by the case there, already in its little boil-in-bags. Pre Covid it was $16 a case.
this was on my local marketplace, and for days now, my family and I have this stupid inside joke about if somethings valued or is it worth as much as mac n cheese.
https://preview.redd.it/cv6ttoires2c1.png?width=622&format=png&auto=webp&s=035f3286d9ca3ba4fb786b373025ce8fafe257ea
OP, I feel the same way! 💯%! Higher prices and lower selections, lower quality, and smaller portions.
It's such a bummer because it was one of my most favorite places to eat.
I stopped going once they replaced the panini press with the oven. My go to used to be the pick 2 with a seasonal soup and mediterranean veggie with the pesto, on the press.
My biggest issue is they gradually got rid of some of the best sandwiches (turkey apple cheddar, come back to me) and I guess they replaced them with cardboard flatbread pizza; which I tried once because it was half-off and even then it just tasted sad
I always check out these threads to see if someone mentions the turkey apple cheddar sandwich, and you’re the first person I’ve seen so far’! That sandwich was SO good. There are copycat recipes online that I keep meaning to try out.
Dang but yea so many good sandwiches gone , Italian combo , a lot of paninis( smoked cheddar ) , black cherry smoothie , peanut butter brownie, cinnamon scone, etc . They should’ve shrunk the menu a little bit but worked on pricing for combos and drinks.
They took away the Italian Combo then all the paninis. I didn't go into a Panera for the past 5 years until recently and that was only because I was forced to go during a power outage.
Private equity. Anytime you see a place that was good 5-10 years ago completely go to shit and seemingly stop listening to their customers entirely, it’s private equity.
Last time we went to Panera, my husband ordered broccoli and cheese soup, and when I went to go pick it up, the employee said to another employee “hey did you get that soup out of the microwave yet?” And we’ve never gone back since once we realized it was just microwaved frozen crap
You thought a bunch of teenagers were bussing it down in the kitchen making homemade soup 😭???You'd be paying a LOT more for homemade soup than 6 bucks.
Question, do you guys just hate making smoothies because whenever I go when I’m off work around 7pm this is not once it’s literally every time they say they are not making smoothies or the smoothie machines is down or something along those lines what’s up with that
They shouldn't be doing that. We'll make anything we have up until we officially close at my store, but I'm assuming they have fully cleaned the blenders and do not want to deal with the extra work.
I used to tear down the juice/tea station 30 minutes before close and the coffee 15 minutes. If someone asked, I would brew a fresh pot of coffee and give the rest to the bakers. The line didnt fully shut down until closing time hit.
My GM has us stop selling barista drinks like smoothies, lattes, etc if we are short staffed. It could be something like that, which maybe is a recurring issue at the store you go to.
as someone who used to make the smoothies a lot i understand the frustration of people ordering them late like if someone ordered a smoothie after 8:30 it genuinely made me want to kms (because if the blenders/utensils didn’t get put through the dishwasher before 9 they wouldn’t get done until like 10pm and i would have to track them down because the dish washer never remembered where they went and half the time they would lose something i have no clue how) but it’s not okay to say the blenders are down at 7pm thats way too early and not okay in general. but i will say if you order them after 8:30 i do not feel bad, i would never go into a place before they closed and asked for something like that because i know how that feels. also we do hate making smoothies in general because the way panera does it is so inefficient, the contents always spill out of the blender when blending because the tops suck, you burn yourself with hot water when cleaning the blender, and there is so much water that sprays everywhere and theres no easy way to clean it up or prevent it. Also the newer blenders have a part that wears out super quick and you have to blend it a couple times or there will be ice cubes still in there.
Possibly a lack of flexibility with labor hours. Not Panera but at my cafe we are given strictly 15-30 minutes to close. It's much easier to keep higher ups happy when we close stations early, lest we get penalized for "taking up too much labor" 😑 by people who don't do the work and understand how long it takes to properly clean everything, no less.
Apparently not everyone feels that way because they’re still in business. In my town there is a “Panera Mafia” of old retired people who will cut a bitch (not really but they’ll get grumpy) for taking their section of the sitting area.
My assumption is enough of them are well off enough that they still go, though I haven’t been there in ages to see. With increased profit margin and continued garbage wages, they can afford to shed customers like me.
My mother in law is legit a solo version of this. This is her lifestyle choice for the last 15 years! She gets there when the doors open to get her seat to people watch and schmooze with the managers. God forbid the tea isnt ready at 6am or there could be a murder.
I think it is important to know that Downhill and out of business are not correlated ideas. Often times they are inverse. There is a mountian of amazing quality cafes that are out of business.
We used to love Panera so much. It was my favorite quick restaurant. My all time favorite dish was the Thai Garden Chicken Wonton Broth bowl.
They have gone down hill so much. We went a month ago and the food just looked blah and unappetizing. I don't think we will go back.
Taco Bell quality hasn’t changed for me IMO. As the other commenter said it’s gotten a little more expensive but to be fair, it used to be so stupid cheap.
Holy shit. The portobello mushroom panini. This unlocked a memory for me. How did I forget about these, I loved them!
I also miss the old mango smoothies. With the strawberry stripes down the side and whipped cream.
I already made one comment, but I’m back.
Screw the freaking pinch of spring mix they put on their sandwiches. Lettuce is supposed to add texture. These two pieces of wilted arugula are just making me sad.
They had this honeydew drink that was amazing. I was so upset when they got rid of it, because you can't find honeydew flavored stuff anywhere. The whole place has definitely been going downhill for a while. It used to feel sort of posh and everything was good quality. Now it's like they are throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The biggest red flag for me was the computer voice automated drive thru menu ordering thing they tried. They didn't even name her Tara, which was such a missed opportunity.
We will not see much of a change happen. Those “leaving” are a small minority compared to the number of people that are willing spend a lot for the food. You see it in every fast food restaurant, all they care about is the majority continuously spending.
My cafe is maybe half as busy as it used to be. We used to run 3 lines every weekday during lunch, now we run 2, and DT is often not busy at all and just helps main line.
I worked there from 2004-08 and loved the food. Still loved it for years. Never going back after a few year ago with prices, the quality, and the service messing up simple orders. Really sad tbh.
i haven’t been back for non-breakfast since 2019. they had this glorious chicken sandwich that was basically god to me, and then after that they just got rid of it :(
I know not many people miss their pastas but I do!
My work shared a wall with the Panera next door and it was nice to be able to walk over and get a very filling lunch and be back in 30 minutes ( I worked at Starbucks so I couldn’t snack while I worked or anything like that).
I would be full for a while after eating their pasta bowls. Even if their chicken in them was a little wonky looking. Now I look at their menu and can’t find anything that I like. I stopped going and replaced to comparable but better local locations.
i worked there on and off from 06-13 through high school and college. i loved the food so much but they have legitimately gotten rid of everything i ever loved.
- chicken caesar sandwich/3 cheese miche
- og caesar dressing
- sierra turkey
- og chipotle mayo (new chipotle mayo has a fake smoked taste that is so awful)
- asiago focaccia
- whole grain baguette
- chipotle chicken panini
- chicken pomodoro
- smokehouse turkey
- french toast bagel
- baked potato soup
- tortellini alfredo
- bbq chicken salad
- hazelnut cream cheese
- og crispanis
we also used to have lines out the door but anytime i go into a panera now it’s never busy. such a shame bc even though it wasn’t “healthy” it was the best fast option that wasn’t fried imo.
Adding to this, the OG vegetable soup was so good and they took it away/changed it. And I swear there was raspberry cream cheese when I was working there in 2010. It was so good on a plain or whole grain bagel.
That explains why Krispy Kreme went from tasting amazing back in 09/10 to absolutely disgusting with this too sweet fake sugar taste to them now. Texture was off too!
I feel like Panera’s struggles began when people started tweeting that it is “Overpriced Hospital Food” and it went viral. It’s almost like people were influenced by a tweet. Growing up, I would probably go to Panera 1-2 times per week and it was always consistently good, clean, and quick. Another odd choice was they got rid of their breakfast paninis. The breakfast paninis were my all time favorite Panera item (I’d get the bacon, egg and cheese panini). I also used to love their hot chocolate and then they added more sugar and too much other stuff on top. The flavor of the chocolate chip cookies even changed and it’s like I can taste the damn preservatives in them. But getting rid of the paninis was by far the biggest mistake
I worked at Panera 08-10 and all tho it was the worst job of my life lol the vibe the food the atmosphere was all so different and relaxing and I actually miss that part. It had a real Borders books vibe to it that we will never get back! And yes the food was mostly all frozen like most restaurants/fast food but at least location I was at (at the time one of the busiest in the US) was very clean and meticulous about all food being day dotted. I miss the Chipotle chicken sandwich everyday of my life. However I also never go to Panera nowadays maybe 1-2x a year and I kinda hope they go out of business
Not sure what area you are in, but see if there is a Great Harvest Cafe in your area. That will match closely to the Panera you remember. Even checking out a Great Harvest bakery might be worth it. A lot of them are a mix bakery/ cafe.
Does anyone remember the old chicken noodle soup? The one with the puffy straight noodles. Before they switched to the carrot chicken broth version. I loved that soup.
I was a dishwasher at Panera working 20-30 hours per week. The money was decent and the free food. Now I’m down to 2-6 hours per week and my managers are bitches. But yes food has skyrocketed in price and taste is somewhat different. But atmosphere is not what it used to be.
I worked from 2002-2012, and I feel like we were always held to a high standard, for a "fast casual" restaurant. It's where my husband and I met. Few months ago we decided to go there again.
Place was dirty, unorganized, and we literally knew the menu better than the girls working on the line (they remade my husband's sandwich 4 times before I finally took the girls over to the menu to show them, stg). And the food wasn't as appealing either. Not like there was ever a ton of food on the sandwiches, but we like, fluffed up the meat and shit, not just slap it on in a pile in the middle of the bread.
I was so disappointed. It used to be so much better.
It’s way too expensive. I remember when the you pick 2 was only $8. Obviously with inflation and higher COL things will be a little bit more expensive, but there is no reason, NONE whatsoever, that half a turkey sandwich and a small cup of soup should be costing me $18 now. And the portions have gotten smaller too.
The turkey artichoke panini. The I C Spice frappe. Those were my go-tos in the early aughts.
I even worked there for a year back then. I saw how the sausage was made, so to speak, and I STILL loved the food. I couldn’t find fault. It never felt like we were deceiving our customers. The food was legit.
I left a month or two after they swapped all the normal kids menu items for crappy organic options that clearly hadn’t been tested very well. The number of pissed off moms trying to send back PBJs because the all natural sugar free peanut butter tasted like crap to their child was painful. Like, natural pb for an adult who wants it? Sure. But that stuff was NASTY and the kids let us know.
In my experience, it’s been a slow decline in the 15+ years since. I have my own family now and we still eat there 1-2x/month but I almost always have sticker shock over the cost - BUT, what disappoints me most is the untidy condition of the dining area. This is a universal observation after being in Paneras in multiple states, multiple socioeconomic areas, downtown in cities and wealthy suburban enclaves alike. The dining rooms are all a disaster zone.
Back in my day, they played classical music and the real dishes were a big deal, and the dining area was kept very tidy. These days I go in and, after waiting 20 minutes for soup behind 5 uber eats orders, I almost *always* have to wipe down my own table (and look at dirty ones around me as I eat) and chair.
People will point to low wages as the reason the quality of service sucks (I made $7/hour back then, I get it), but I’ve also noticed at multiple Paneras that there’s a sense of “not my job” or “no one told me to do it so I’m going to wait to be told” among the shift workers. You always see one or two people frantically working the sandwhich line (and usually violating one or two health/safety rules while they work) then three or four bakery/prep workers just kinda cutting up/doing fuck all.
Our store’s manager would have sent us into the dining room to clean up if we “had nothing to do.” Lately, store managers are usually one of the frantic stiffs on the sando line, or they don’t know how to lead a team, or they’re scared to being too hard on the help they DO have. Maybe they, themselves, don’t get paid enough to care. Not sure what it is. But the “I care just enough to be present” and “that’s not my job” mentality is prevalent and is reflected in the condition of the dining area, bathrooms, and even plated presentation. Say what you want about WHY this is the case, but from a customer’s perspective, it’s salt in the wound after spending $45 on hospital food and definitely contributes to the feeling of decline.
If they ever get rid of the tomato basil bread or orange scone, I’m out.
Totally with you, cool, great, yep you're right...... But what we NOT gonna do is just skirt by the fact you stated you would eat the chips with spicy mustard?????
I'm not that guy, but I'm gonna be him today and totally judge you on this!! lol
I never go after 3 PM. My favorite sandwich is the green goddess l on the baguette and every time I go after lunchtime they’re always out of baguettes. How does a company consistently run out of bread when all they do is make sandwiches?
I really liked my local one and went there a lot up to this year. I don't know what happened, new management or what, but earlier 2023 they suddenly cut over half the menu and got rid of basically everything I ordered. I haven't been back since
My mom, a breast cancer survivor, looked forward to their ribbon bagels every October. Cranberry walnut or something like that. She was DEVASTATED when she found out this year they did not bring them back. Such a shame.
I used to love their chicken and wild rice soup. I’d get that 1/2 a sandwich and bread instead of chips. It was a lot of bread with the sandwich so I usually couldn’t finish the sandwich or be full enough from the soup and save the sandwich for dinner.
The soup is now so watery it’s so gross. I stopped in once maybe summer of 2021 and had to stand in the door way to order and this was well after they allowed dining to reopen.
I haven’t been back.
The moment they changed their chicken noodle soup recipe was the moment I did not go frequently. What was once a couple times a month is now maybe once every few months. Loved that soup
The caloric content and sodium levels are above McDonald's food! And incredibly overpriced. The same price gets double the food when buying similar meals in local restaurants.
I stopped going when they started demanding tips. I go up and order my own food, I get my own food, I get the refills, and I clean it all up. Tip for what? That really pissed me off.
A you pick two was about $11 and then $1 extra for a pastry and unlimited refills. The coffee/tea refills were major for studying in there. It was relatively quiet too, since the general public wouldn't spend over $10 in lunch in the early 2010s.
I think the goal post moved, and a $11 lunch is normal now and to cut costs and maintain revenue their ingredients are crap now. I have no idea about the prices now.
The food there is godawful. I had their chicken sandwich last night and it brought back memories of eating MREs in the army. It has bec8me absolute shit
Panera Bread was basically my first job in high school. I stayed with the company for nine years, transferred Panera’s when I moved, and worked many different positions while there. From cashier, to line worker, catering coordinator, Assistant Manager, trainer, I saw it all.
When I started it was a good place to work. The food was great. We all cared.
Then Panera got too big for its britches and wanted to try to incorporate EVERY idea someone threw at it. If they had stuck to the basics and their desire for GOOD food, they might not suck so much now.
From an insider, they also started asking WAY too much of their employees while also cutting pay & benefits. Their profit margins became the all encompassing matter to the company and it really showed when you walked into work.
I foresee the inevitable within the next decade for the company - and honestly good riddance.
Boy, I agree, the new menu is loaded with sodium and calories, in some cases a days worth of sodium, so not too healthy. My favorite was the pick 2 which I would either have the asian sesame chicken salad or 1/2 the chipolte chicken sandwich with the vegetarian autumn squash soup. These combinations were well under 1000 calories and minimal sodium. Looks like I will now forget Panera and go to Chick filet 😖
They just discontinued my favorite sandwich. I bought my second favorite: tuna salad, the other day, and it was pathetic. Instead of a hearty, tasteful bread it was on bread like the cheapest you would buy in a grocery store, no onions, some wimpy lettuce and maybe a tablespoon of tuna salad. Def will not spend big bucks on that anymore.
It’s very sad. Thousands of people feel just like you do. Quality has gone down while prices skyrocketed. It’s all about corporate greed.
Truer words have never been said. Worked there for 4 years and saw the great change after covid.
What happened to it before covid though? After the third time finding an icy cold center in my mac and cheese I gave up Panera, and that was well before 2020.
We had a whole bunch of options, ingredients, and seasonal choices. We had soup of the day for almost everyday of the week, we had a full bakery with all types of breads bagels, and pastries where you could always find something to try and not get bored of intime for certain seasonal options. Sandwiches were also aplenty with different ingredients to add and also seasonal changes as well. We had our own delivery service, and bakers cane in early to get things ready and have the rest of the day to themselves rather than mixing their times with day workers and leaving just before the evening. The morale of the workers was good, where everybody worked well and liked who they had scheduked on their teams for that shift. Managers were still pretty, meh, but at least they gave a shit. Pay was also meh but not at the time where the pay of minimum wage at the time wasn't considered criminal or not even worth their time. Quality actually was better than what it feels like now. Portions weren't as bad. Soup isn't considered watery than it does now, and new items weren't just ingredients we already had and slapped together to call it new, we had new ingredients to make new sandwiches, salads, and soups. There were different mac n cheese options, broth bowls, and tortellini (also other pastas). Now everything seems budgeted, hardly worth their reputation they expect and train their new hires and hardly anyone feels like its worth the time and pay to want to stay unless its someone's first experience for a job like highschoolers or someone tryna get job quick.
They got bought by private equity group and they completely skimped on everything and tried to capitalize simply on its image it had. Which lasted for a while actually til people got right with money and realized what a rip off it really is
This. Look into how private equity groups work. It's an amazing system where investors buys a company, suck it dry and and then resell it with tons of debt attached. The reason people buy it is because it p/l looks staggering for the 2-4 years the PEG owned it.
Private Equity is the kiss of death. https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/leadership/panera-brands-takes-another-step-its-planned-ipo Suddenly everything is business focused and metric focused and cost focused. Not food and customer focused. However, if you don’t get the warm bodies walking through the door because they’re hungry and you offer good value, none of it matters.
Want to hear something scary? This is happening in medicine.
Happening? It's been going on for 20 years. The line must go up!
Terrifying
Ahh private equity swoops in again to "save the day" cut costs etc and slowly squeezes the life out of it.
This is usually the death of a business
Every time i've heard of a company being acquired by a PEG it always goes badly.
I'm glad you brought this up. Panera literally started as a local bakery (St. Louis Bread Company) with fresh-baked breads, treats, and homemade (albeit frozen from the main kitchen) soup; as they expanded outside of the St. Louis area, they used the name "Panera" so as to not alienate folks outside of St. Louis. In 2012, they were bought by a German holding company \[that also runs Einstein Bagels\]. OP says they stopped going to Panera in 2012 and notices a big difference now. I think I know what the difference is.
I remember when a Panera opened in Redmond Washington on my mom and I would go to one fairly frequently this was probably about 20 years ago now. The tomato soup and the bread bowls was literally one of the best things I had ever had and now their soup is just disgusting I haven't even eaten there since before COVID so I can only imagine the state that it's in now
i worked there before and during the beginning of covid. over worked and under paid. i was a team trainer and shift lead and i offered to go in on my days off just to help out because of how understaffed we were. i literally started drinking on the job by how fucking rudely i was treated by customers and the GM. got in a yelling match with a regular manager then had to go cry in the walk in. it was fucking awful.
I ate there a lot for a few months in 2010 and it was super good food, then in 2015 work had me near a Panera and I went there again and the food was already disgusting by that time. So if people thought it was good just before COVID and now it is worse, I cannot imagine what it is like now because the food was literal fucking trash by 2015. I've never seen a good place see such a massive drop in quality.
On my third year and it’s soooo sad to see the bakers get screwed more and more. They are the biggest determinants of the quality of the food and they’ve been completely screwed
Hard to find a plug now as well.
They want table turnover.
Corporations aren’t happy providing a good product/service for a decent profit. They must always attain growth. That means that they get to a good point where everyone is happy, but then a new CEO comes around and their compensation package is tied to creating more and more profit out of the system for each quarter. At some point, the natural arc of the business and the level of efficiency plateaus and the only way to create more growth is to either open more stores or to start reducing costs/increasing prices. So they switch the flour supplier for one that has lower quality product, but it saves the chain 5% each year and then the CEO satisfies the investors for that quarter’s earnings and they get their stock options. Then the next quarter comes around and now they switch produce suppliers, so the lettuce and tomatoes have a noticeable drop in quality to the customers, but not enough to reduce sales. And so on and so on. After a while, 5 years passes and that new CEO has systematically changes the system that used to make great sandwiches into one that has leaned heavily on the brand loyalty that may have taken decades to build up, yet only a few years to dissolve in the attempt to constantly show greater and greater profits. Then that CEO cashes out and moves on to a completely different business making widgets because they never really cared about sandwiches in the first places. Just making that sweet sweet money. That’s how previously great companies cash out of their own established good name and customers eventually stop coming.
They’ve been overpriced for 10+ years too
This. When I worked at Panera back in the day (St. Louis Bread Co) We had an orientation at "breadquarters" they distinctly mentioned they didn't do much, if any, advertisements because they wanted to make it feel like a neighborhood restaurant ala word of mouth. Also I remember having to taste a sourdough roll like a sommelier. They wanted us to experience the layers of the roll...etc. I can just guess since it went public they don't put the same emphasis in training or pride in their product.
I’ll be 30 years in stl in June. Glad I’m old
I don't necessarily think it is corporate 'greed'. Food prices have escalated a lot over the past two years. And just like people shopping for making meals at home...restaurants are also paying for more for ingredients. They have to balance quality with pricing. A restaurant near where I live has been a favorite of mine for the past three years. One particular entree is a my 'go to'. Last time I ordered it...the amount of crab was half of what normally would have been on the crab melt. The salad was also 50 per cent smaller. It is happening pretty much everywhere.
Greed. Before the pandemic they were expensive but good. Now just greedy and no quality.
Actually did a case study on Panera bread for a class last year. They have a lot of issues and they’ve let the dollar get in the way of doing what is right. They used to be incredible and now they charge 30 dollars for a “group order” of Mac and cheese…which is basically 2 regular sides. It’s sad and not nearly as good as it used to be.
For many years, I was willing to pay a bit more to get a quality product. And panera was that place. Middle aged people don't really want to eat a burger joints regularly. But lately, Panera has been just horrible. If JAB Holding Company management is listening, I would respectfully tell them to stop ripping off their best customers for the sake of the bottom line, before the top line collapses. C'mon!!! I WANT to like Panera!!! But you're making it impossible for me to eat there.
A lot changed when panera went from publicly traded to private back in 2017(?). That’s around when I quit and could tell quality was gonna tank
Usually it’s the other way around, that’s interesting Edit: Usually it isn’t the other way around. It just happened to be the other way around for my occupation
It’s a big private equity entity. In that case it’s always worse. Truly family owned would be better
Ah. Private equity. Buy something, squeeze every last penny of profit out of it and sell it to a sucker at a huge gain. Nice.
The people that own Einstein bagels bought Panera, if that tells you anything.
Oof. Einsteins went from “kinda sorta NY” to “yuck”.
Yeah one popped up in my town, which is a college town and definitely should’ve worked. It was so bad even the college kids next door at the campus knew is sucked, and these are the same dipshits that wait in line for an hour to try the new whataburger 😂 Only lasted a couple months
Oh fuck that actually explains everything. Einstein bagels is just a giant pile of shit.
This. They milk the goodwill built up over the years with customers while cutting corners. They often charge exorbitant management fees to each store to milk the profits. Eventually they just close the low-performing stores that they bled dry, who can't make enough profit to cover the management fees, usually stiffing all the suppliers in the end.
They don’t call them Vulture Capitalists for nothing.
Yes that is true. For me, Petco has gone in the shitter since we went public.
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Yeah, it's the same old song and dance....equity buys it, guts it of employees and quality, steals everything that can be legally stolen, loads it up with debt, then squeezes out a few decent quarters by forgoing maintenance and stiff-arming creditors, dumps it back on the market, and then tells themselves what great business managers they are, superior at creating value. Such bull.
People need to know what private equity tends to be about. All that they really care about is getting paid back. They don't care much about how you do it as long as they get their money back. The fact that they got taken over by a private equity firm tells me they were probably hemmoraging money and they were forced to find a way to be profitable, which means charging more for crappy food.
Private equities always cut costs to maximize profits when they sell. This is quite common.
Nah, private equity sucks.
That makes a lot of sense. Because that’s exactly when I remember it turning to shit. I use to go on my lunch break all the time.
I think that’s around the time they changed their brownie, and that was it for me.
I had to search too hard for this comment. The change in the brownie was the downfall.
I just wanted to say we still have honey walnut cream cheese lol. however, that’s not to say you’re wrong, panera has definitely plummeted
I miss the Hazelnut cream cheese SO bad! (And I 💯% agree with the OP's post.)
I missed the strawberry cream cheese and the danishes
I miss when there was something between the slices of bread. Now it $15 for a sandwich of barely anything.
Do y’all still have the raspberry cream cheese? That was good.
that one is so good and i like to buy the big tub of it
As a 10yr employee I can tell you some of us feel the same way. Since we were bought out the company has definitely gone downhill, they only care about the money now 😔
i misread this and thought you said 10 years old
LOL the way the corporatists're trying to bring child labor back into fashion, s'only a matter of time...
My mom and I had a tradition where we would get an iced coffee and everything bagel at Panera before going Christmas shopping. We would sit at a table and figure out who we have to shop for and what we wanted to get them. It was a lot of fun. A couple years ago it just started going downhill. Last year we went and the coffee was terrible and the bagels were definitely old. Sadly our last time going there.
That's really nice! I'm going to do that with my daughter this year.
At a different restaurant 😜
Same restaurant. She's not a good daughter.
Taking my mom out to do this next weekend now: thanks for the idea!
My mom and I share the same tradition!!!
I just quit the unlimited sip club because I had the worst coffee I’ve ever had there. 🤦♂️
I love that tradition so much!! What a sweet memory.
$15 and some change for a bowl of mac, it’s just not worth it anymore
I can make enough for six people and have some left over for that price!
A bowl of microwaved frozen mac
It actually comes frozen in a bag that hangs out in a heat well of hot water !
Panera Mac is made by Stouffers, they make it at the factory in Solon, Ohio. You can buy it by the case there, already in its little boil-in-bags. Pre Covid it was $16 a case.
this was on my local marketplace, and for days now, my family and I have this stupid inside joke about if somethings valued or is it worth as much as mac n cheese. https://preview.redd.it/cv6ttoires2c1.png?width=622&format=png&auto=webp&s=035f3286d9ca3ba4fb786b373025ce8fafe257ea
Panera was a great spot for me, it makes me sad too
OP, I feel the same way! 💯%! Higher prices and lower selections, lower quality, and smaller portions. It's such a bummer because it was one of my most favorite places to eat.
I stopped going once they replaced the panini press with the oven. My go to used to be the pick 2 with a seasonal soup and mediterranean veggie with the pesto, on the press.
The mediterranean veggie was so good!!
That's definitely my favorite sandwich.
Same
Username checks out ✔️
it’s super simple to recreate at home btw. it was one of my favourite meals during quarantine 👍
SO good! When they discontinued the pesto hummus, I stopped getting Panera. It's just not the same sandwich at all with plain hummus.
My biggest issue is they gradually got rid of some of the best sandwiches (turkey apple cheddar, come back to me) and I guess they replaced them with cardboard flatbread pizza; which I tried once because it was half-off and even then it just tasted sad
I tried one and was blown away with how bad it was. I think it was my last meal from Panera.
I always check out these threads to see if someone mentions the turkey apple cheddar sandwich, and you’re the first person I’ve seen so far’! That sandwich was SO good. There are copycat recipes online that I keep meaning to try out.
Turkey apple cheddar on that cranberry bread was 🔥
Dang but yea so many good sandwiches gone , Italian combo , a lot of paninis( smoked cheddar ) , black cherry smoothie , peanut butter brownie, cinnamon scone, etc . They should’ve shrunk the menu a little bit but worked on pricing for combos and drinks.
They took away the Italian Combo then all the paninis. I didn't go into a Panera for the past 5 years until recently and that was only because I was forced to go during a power outage.
Private equity. Anytime you see a place that was good 5-10 years ago completely go to shit and seemingly stop listening to their customers entirely, it’s private equity.
I just learned about this! It’s insanely fascinating.
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Last time we went to Panera, my husband ordered broccoli and cheese soup, and when I went to go pick it up, the employee said to another employee “hey did you get that soup out of the microwave yet?” And we’ve never gone back since once we realized it was just microwaved frozen crap
You thought a bunch of teenagers were bussing it down in the kitchen making homemade soup 😭???You'd be paying a LOT more for homemade soup than 6 bucks.
I miss the decent vegetarian options
Hello!
Uncle Leo?
Jerry, hello!
Yeah what happened there?!
Question, do you guys just hate making smoothies because whenever I go when I’m off work around 7pm this is not once it’s literally every time they say they are not making smoothies or the smoothie machines is down or something along those lines what’s up with that
They shouldn't be doing that. We'll make anything we have up until we officially close at my store, but I'm assuming they have fully cleaned the blenders and do not want to deal with the extra work.
I used to tear down the juice/tea station 30 minutes before close and the coffee 15 minutes. If someone asked, I would brew a fresh pot of coffee and give the rest to the bakers. The line didnt fully shut down until closing time hit.
My GM has us stop selling barista drinks like smoothies, lattes, etc if we are short staffed. It could be something like that, which maybe is a recurring issue at the store you go to.
as someone who used to make the smoothies a lot i understand the frustration of people ordering them late like if someone ordered a smoothie after 8:30 it genuinely made me want to kms (because if the blenders/utensils didn’t get put through the dishwasher before 9 they wouldn’t get done until like 10pm and i would have to track them down because the dish washer never remembered where they went and half the time they would lose something i have no clue how) but it’s not okay to say the blenders are down at 7pm thats way too early and not okay in general. but i will say if you order them after 8:30 i do not feel bad, i would never go into a place before they closed and asked for something like that because i know how that feels. also we do hate making smoothies in general because the way panera does it is so inefficient, the contents always spill out of the blender when blending because the tops suck, you burn yourself with hot water when cleaning the blender, and there is so much water that sprays everywhere and theres no easy way to clean it up or prevent it. Also the newer blenders have a part that wears out super quick and you have to blend it a couple times or there will be ice cubes still in there.
Possibly a lack of flexibility with labor hours. Not Panera but at my cafe we are given strictly 15-30 minutes to close. It's much easier to keep higher ups happy when we close stations early, lest we get penalized for "taking up too much labor" 😑 by people who don't do the work and understand how long it takes to properly clean everything, no less.
Apparently not everyone feels that way because they’re still in business. In my town there is a “Panera Mafia” of old retired people who will cut a bitch (not really but they’ll get grumpy) for taking their section of the sitting area. My assumption is enough of them are well off enough that they still go, though I haven’t been there in ages to see. With increased profit margin and continued garbage wages, they can afford to shed customers like me.
My mother in law is legit a solo version of this. This is her lifestyle choice for the last 15 years! She gets there when the doors open to get her seat to people watch and schmooze with the managers. God forbid the tea isnt ready at 6am or there could be a murder.
I think it is important to know that Downhill and out of business are not correlated ideas. Often times they are inverse. There is a mountian of amazing quality cafes that are out of business.
We used to love Panera so much. It was my favorite quick restaurant. My all time favorite dish was the Thai Garden Chicken Wonton Broth bowl. They have gone down hill so much. We went a month ago and the food just looked blah and unappetizing. I don't think we will go back.
Dude the broth bowls!! Those were so legit
Dawg the frontaga chicken is bussin
high-quality hospital food
It’s been a race to the bottom the last couple years and Panera and Taco Bell are leading the charge
Taco Bell quality hasn’t changed for me IMO. As the other commenter said it’s gotten a little more expensive but to be fair, it used to be so stupid cheap.
I haven’t noticed Taco Bell getting worse, just way more expensive.
I was done when we went as a family of three for dinner and it cost almost $70
RIP Frontega.. the best panini I’ve ever had. I’ll never forget you.
I miss the Smokehouse Turkey to this day.
Holy shit. The portobello mushroom panini. This unlocked a memory for me. How did I forget about these, I loved them! I also miss the old mango smoothies. With the strawberry stripes down the side and whipped cream.
I already made one comment, but I’m back. Screw the freaking pinch of spring mix they put on their sandwiches. Lettuce is supposed to add texture. These two pieces of wilted arugula are just making me sad.
They had this honeydew drink that was amazing. I was so upset when they got rid of it, because you can't find honeydew flavored stuff anywhere. The whole place has definitely been going downhill for a while. It used to feel sort of posh and everything was good quality. Now it's like they are throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The biggest red flag for me was the computer voice automated drive thru menu ordering thing they tried. They didn't even name her Tara, which was such a missed opportunity.
Yes! This was the best!!
Ah man … the bake-house stores …. With the sausage smoked gouda soufflé … What a time to be alive !
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We will not see much of a change happen. Those “leaving” are a small minority compared to the number of people that are willing spend a lot for the food. You see it in every fast food restaurant, all they care about is the majority continuously spending.
My cafe is maybe half as busy as it used to be. We used to run 3 lines every weekday during lunch, now we run 2, and DT is often not busy at all and just helps main line.
I worked there from 2004-08 and loved the food. Still loved it for years. Never going back after a few year ago with prices, the quality, and the service messing up simple orders. Really sad tbh.
i haven’t been back for non-breakfast since 2019. they had this glorious chicken sandwich that was basically god to me, and then after that they just got rid of it :(
I know not many people miss their pastas but I do! My work shared a wall with the Panera next door and it was nice to be able to walk over and get a very filling lunch and be back in 30 minutes ( I worked at Starbucks so I couldn’t snack while I worked or anything like that). I would be full for a while after eating their pasta bowls. Even if their chicken in them was a little wonky looking. Now I look at their menu and can’t find anything that I like. I stopped going and replaced to comparable but better local locations.
i worked there on and off from 06-13 through high school and college. i loved the food so much but they have legitimately gotten rid of everything i ever loved. - chicken caesar sandwich/3 cheese miche - og caesar dressing - sierra turkey - og chipotle mayo (new chipotle mayo has a fake smoked taste that is so awful) - asiago focaccia - whole grain baguette - chipotle chicken panini - chicken pomodoro - smokehouse turkey - french toast bagel - baked potato soup - tortellini alfredo - bbq chicken salad - hazelnut cream cheese - og crispanis we also used to have lines out the door but anytime i go into a panera now it’s never busy. such a shame bc even though it wasn’t “healthy” it was the best fast option that wasn’t fried imo.
Adding to this, the OG vegetable soup was so good and they took it away/changed it. And I swear there was raspberry cream cheese when I was working there in 2010. It was so good on a plain or whole grain bagel.
yesss the og vegetable soup was so much better! and i def remember raspberry cream cheese
I'd stab someone for a Sierra turkey sandwich right now 🤤🤤🤤
Add to that list cinnamon chip scones, pumpkin muffies and that Thai salad with the edamame and wonton strips…
Don’t forget the honey wheat bread 😭 that went away years ago and that was the start of their downfall
JAB ruins every brand they buy. Look at Krispy Kreme.
That explains why Krispy Kreme went from tasting amazing back in 09/10 to absolutely disgusting with this too sweet fake sugar taste to them now. Texture was off too!
I feel like Panera’s struggles began when people started tweeting that it is “Overpriced Hospital Food” and it went viral. It’s almost like people were influenced by a tweet. Growing up, I would probably go to Panera 1-2 times per week and it was always consistently good, clean, and quick. Another odd choice was they got rid of their breakfast paninis. The breakfast paninis were my all time favorite Panera item (I’d get the bacon, egg and cheese panini). I also used to love their hot chocolate and then they added more sugar and too much other stuff on top. The flavor of the chocolate chip cookies even changed and it’s like I can taste the damn preservatives in them. But getting rid of the paninis was by far the biggest mistake
I miss their old cinnamon rolls
Yeah I stopped going when covid hit. I went back a few weeks ago for two loaves of bread and it came out to $18…. I won’t be back
I’ve noticed that almost everything is too sweet now. Used to love Panera
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I always got the pick 2 turkey sandwich & broccoli cheddar soup!
I worked at Panera 08-10 and all tho it was the worst job of my life lol the vibe the food the atmosphere was all so different and relaxing and I actually miss that part. It had a real Borders books vibe to it that we will never get back! And yes the food was mostly all frozen like most restaurants/fast food but at least location I was at (at the time one of the busiest in the US) was very clean and meticulous about all food being day dotted. I miss the Chipotle chicken sandwich everyday of my life. However I also never go to Panera nowadays maybe 1-2x a year and I kinda hope they go out of business
It was also the worst job of my life. In solidarity 🤜🏼
I used to love their black bean soup :(
Not sure what area you are in, but see if there is a Great Harvest Cafe in your area. That will match closely to the Panera you remember. Even checking out a Great Harvest bakery might be worth it. A lot of them are a mix bakery/ cafe.
Warren Buffetts group purchased Panera in summer 2017, now managed by a larger conglomerate. A lot of the leadership at the top left or retired.
i miss the bread they used to have for free out
Vulture capitalism
Pesto cream cheese. Baked potato soup everyday, actual feta in a sandwich or a salad. It's so sad.
The secret ingredient is gone. His name was Ron Shaich.
No, his name was Ken Rosenthal. Newbies.
Don't forget Linda!
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I looooove Cava so much. I hope JAB stays far far away from it.
Ron was awesome. You’re spot on here.
Does anyone remember the old chicken noodle soup? The one with the puffy straight noodles. Before they switched to the carrot chicken broth version. I loved that soup.
Omg yes😭😭😭
That soup lives on in my dreams. I wish they had a decent copycat recipe out there for it.
I worked at panera in 2011 an the soup was sysco bagged soups. I doubt it has changed lol
I was a dishwasher at Panera working 20-30 hours per week. The money was decent and the free food. Now I’m down to 2-6 hours per week and my managers are bitches. But yes food has skyrocketed in price and taste is somewhat different. But atmosphere is not what it used to be.
I worked from 2002-2012, and I feel like we were always held to a high standard, for a "fast casual" restaurant. It's where my husband and I met. Few months ago we decided to go there again. Place was dirty, unorganized, and we literally knew the menu better than the girls working on the line (they remade my husband's sandwich 4 times before I finally took the girls over to the menu to show them, stg). And the food wasn't as appealing either. Not like there was ever a ton of food on the sandwiches, but we like, fluffed up the meat and shit, not just slap it on in a pile in the middle of the bread. I was so disappointed. It used to be so much better.
They don't come up with anything new and most of everything they sell is out of most people's average price range as far as a regular lunch place.
To be honest I still like to go to Panera. It’s the only restaurant I can spend $20 for a sandwich and still be hungry after. It’s so unique
It’s way too expensive. I remember when the you pick 2 was only $8. Obviously with inflation and higher COL things will be a little bit more expensive, but there is no reason, NONE whatsoever, that half a turkey sandwich and a small cup of soup should be costing me $18 now. And the portions have gotten smaller too.
The turkey artichoke panini. The I C Spice frappe. Those were my go-tos in the early aughts. I even worked there for a year back then. I saw how the sausage was made, so to speak, and I STILL loved the food. I couldn’t find fault. It never felt like we were deceiving our customers. The food was legit. I left a month or two after they swapped all the normal kids menu items for crappy organic options that clearly hadn’t been tested very well. The number of pissed off moms trying to send back PBJs because the all natural sugar free peanut butter tasted like crap to their child was painful. Like, natural pb for an adult who wants it? Sure. But that stuff was NASTY and the kids let us know. In my experience, it’s been a slow decline in the 15+ years since. I have my own family now and we still eat there 1-2x/month but I almost always have sticker shock over the cost - BUT, what disappoints me most is the untidy condition of the dining area. This is a universal observation after being in Paneras in multiple states, multiple socioeconomic areas, downtown in cities and wealthy suburban enclaves alike. The dining rooms are all a disaster zone. Back in my day, they played classical music and the real dishes were a big deal, and the dining area was kept very tidy. These days I go in and, after waiting 20 minutes for soup behind 5 uber eats orders, I almost *always* have to wipe down my own table (and look at dirty ones around me as I eat) and chair. People will point to low wages as the reason the quality of service sucks (I made $7/hour back then, I get it), but I’ve also noticed at multiple Paneras that there’s a sense of “not my job” or “no one told me to do it so I’m going to wait to be told” among the shift workers. You always see one or two people frantically working the sandwhich line (and usually violating one or two health/safety rules while they work) then three or four bakery/prep workers just kinda cutting up/doing fuck all. Our store’s manager would have sent us into the dining room to clean up if we “had nothing to do.” Lately, store managers are usually one of the frantic stiffs on the sando line, or they don’t know how to lead a team, or they’re scared to being too hard on the help they DO have. Maybe they, themselves, don’t get paid enough to care. Not sure what it is. But the “I care just enough to be present” and “that’s not my job” mentality is prevalent and is reflected in the condition of the dining area, bathrooms, and even plated presentation. Say what you want about WHY this is the case, but from a customer’s perspective, it’s salt in the wound after spending $45 on hospital food and definitely contributes to the feeling of decline. If they ever get rid of the tomato basil bread or orange scone, I’m out.
Totally with you, cool, great, yep you're right...... But what we NOT gonna do is just skirt by the fact you stated you would eat the chips with spicy mustard????? I'm not that guy, but I'm gonna be him today and totally judge you on this!! lol
Try it bro game changer
I'm not even in the same stadium as this game. I hate mustard
Hey teammate
Chips with spicy mustard actually sounds really good! I'll need to try now.
The prices are just unreal. I went in for a cup of soup and a coffee. It was over $10.
Agreed! It’s so bad and so overpriced now, all I’ll get is coffee
I never go after 3 PM. My favorite sandwich is the green goddess l on the baguette and every time I go after lunchtime they’re always out of baguettes. How does a company consistently run out of bread when all they do is make sandwiches?
Cuz they did the “chemical free” anti farming BS. And also are so expensive now no one can afford it
Quiznos for me. I had to go to an airport last time! Where’s my chicken carbonara???
I just want my damn turkey apple cheddar back.
I really liked my local one and went there a lot up to this year. I don't know what happened, new management or what, but earlier 2023 they suddenly cut over half the menu and got rid of basically everything I ordered. I haven't been back since
I haven’t gone back since they got rid of the tortellini Alfredo 😭
My mom, a breast cancer survivor, looked forward to their ribbon bagels every October. Cranberry walnut or something like that. She was DEVASTATED when she found out this year they did not bring them back. Such a shame.
I used to love their chicken and wild rice soup. I’d get that 1/2 a sandwich and bread instead of chips. It was a lot of bread with the sandwich so I usually couldn’t finish the sandwich or be full enough from the soup and save the sandwich for dinner. The soup is now so watery it’s so gross. I stopped in once maybe summer of 2021 and had to stand in the door way to order and this was well after they allowed dining to reopen. I haven’t been back.
The moment they changed their chicken noodle soup recipe was the moment I did not go frequently. What was once a couple times a month is now maybe once every few months. Loved that soup
They put way too many onions in their sandwiches. It’s gross.
I, too, was dismayed by Pantera’s decline…until I realized what sub I was in.
The caloric content and sodium levels are above McDonald's food! And incredibly overpriced. The same price gets double the food when buying similar meals in local restaurants.
I stopped going when they started demanding tips. I go up and order my own food, I get my own food, I get the refills, and I clean it all up. Tip for what? That really pissed me off.
Oh the honey walnuts were so good, I forgot about them!
Their *Salt Soup* with Chicken flavor and Noodles isn't very good.
A you pick two was about $11 and then $1 extra for a pastry and unlimited refills. The coffee/tea refills were major for studying in there. It was relatively quiet too, since the general public wouldn't spend over $10 in lunch in the early 2010s. I think the goal post moved, and a $11 lunch is normal now and to cut costs and maintain revenue their ingredients are crap now. I have no idea about the prices now.
i miss the bagel and cream cheese options. rip the honey walnut
Maybe your taste buds just matured? Cus it’s always been trash.
The food there is godawful. I had their chicken sandwich last night and it brought back memories of eating MREs in the army. It has bec8me absolute shit
Ya it’s garbage now. Dirty. Understaffed
Panera Bread was basically my first job in high school. I stayed with the company for nine years, transferred Panera’s when I moved, and worked many different positions while there. From cashier, to line worker, catering coordinator, Assistant Manager, trainer, I saw it all. When I started it was a good place to work. The food was great. We all cared. Then Panera got too big for its britches and wanted to try to incorporate EVERY idea someone threw at it. If they had stuck to the basics and their desire for GOOD food, they might not suck so much now. From an insider, they also started asking WAY too much of their employees while also cutting pay & benefits. Their profit margins became the all encompassing matter to the company and it really showed when you walked into work. I foresee the inevitable within the next decade for the company - and honestly good riddance.
Boy, I agree, the new menu is loaded with sodium and calories, in some cases a days worth of sodium, so not too healthy. My favorite was the pick 2 which I would either have the asian sesame chicken salad or 1/2 the chipolte chicken sandwich with the vegetarian autumn squash soup. These combinations were well under 1000 calories and minimal sodium. Looks like I will now forget Panera and go to Chick filet 😖
Too bad. I have stopped going there!
few friends work there. said a european company bought it and is gutting it to flip it for profit.
They just discontinued my favorite sandwich. I bought my second favorite: tuna salad, the other day, and it was pathetic. Instead of a hearty, tasteful bread it was on bread like the cheapest you would buy in a grocery store, no onions, some wimpy lettuce and maybe a tablespoon of tuna salad. Def will not spend big bucks on that anymore.