Once upon a time, Panera was my go to place for coffees and pastries on the way to work. My favorite breakfast was the ham and swiss baked egg souffle and the oatmeal with strawberries and granola. 'Was' is the key word in that sentence, though. In the last eighteen months, time and time again, I've driven away from Panera thinking that I need to find a new coffee shop for breakfast. My first assumption was that just a single Panera in the area had started to slip in their quality, so I went a little further out of my way to get my favorites. Sadly, the quality seems to be slipping across the board and across their menu. Have you been to Panera lately, is it just a Volusia County issue, or has Panera gone down in general?
Panera bread is always hit or miss for me. I have had good and bad experiences in the same site multiple times. I really think that it must be some combination of who is working that day and how fresh their ingredients are at the time. It's just a shame because when you go to Panera you expect to pay more than fast food for a quality of food that is a notch higher.
I think it has gone down in general. I'm out in Jersey and am experiencing the same thing. The food just isn't as good and the quality of service has declined as well. We constantly have to re-check our orders and quite frequently, items are missing if we order for more than just a couple people.
Why not send the management a quick email and let them know what is happening. If they aren't aware then there is little they can do. Of course, there's a strong possibility that they'll send a coupon too!
I hate to say this but I think it may just be where you live...because the Panera I went to recently was amazing as usual! I typically take what I order with a grain of salt if it's during lunch time or rush hour because they may be too busy and can't get it just perfect. So long as it tastes fine to me, I can care less; I love Panera bread and baked goods too much to care!
It maybe also the times of day you go in. I used to go in at lunch time and it was always manic, running out of things. Another branch I used to go in at breakfast and everything was fresh and good. If anything is wrong I say so then and there and they fix it. I still think for the price and portion size it's one of the better places and their soups are always good value.
I was never a huge fan of Panera. To me they charge more than similar restaurants and don't offer enough to be worth it. Last time I went there I found it was weaker than it usually is, and that was a while ago. Since then I didn't go back... I'd rather spend my money elsewhere!
Well, I'm glad it's not everywhere, but with three chime ins (FL, NJ, and I don't thing the other location was mentioned) suggests that it may not be an isolated decline. With regard to peak hours, I agree and wouldn't have judged the Paneras that I've been to based on rush hour traffic. My schedule, though, is a second shift schedule with my average breakfast stop at 10 and lunch stop at 2:30 - so, not quite peak times. Still, I have been open with my in store reviews and check in every once in a while. If there are any improvements, I'll happily retract any negative remarks and update them.
Unfortunately I've noticed the same thing here in Baltimore. They have been hit and miss for a while, in my experience, but the past year or so it's been much more miss than anything else. It's a shame because they can be quite good, but yes I have to agree the quality is declining.
I don't think I could justify going to Panera or any restaurant and paying a premium for a bowl of granola - strawberries or not, lol. I did used to pop in there though before work years ago to get their spinach and artichoke souffle's - they were so convenient too because they were already made and under the heat lap, so I didn't have to wait around for my order to be made. One of the main reasons I stopped going there though, especially in the evenings, is because of all the screaming kids at the locations near me. I would try and go there with my laptop in the evenings or on the weekends, just to get out of my place and get some work done in a different environment. But no matter what time I was going there were these groups of moms (or perhaps one or two moms watching a bunch of other people's kids there) - and that's all you would hear the whole time is them screaming and shrieking. Why bring a bunch of little kids to Panera for hours on end like that? Take them some place where they can actually play like Chuck E Cheese, or even the playground sections at Burger King for the locations that still have those.
Panera in the L.A. area is becoming a joke. If they're not crowded, there's a weird smell like industrial strength cleaner that permeates the air. Their lunch menu is okay except for when they want to be eclectic. Some flavor combinations work when they are cooked, and not warmed up. I think for the price the staff could be friendlier.
