Yes, I know Panera is anti-2A and caters to the "woke" crowd, just like Starbucks. But, I got a 10 dollar gift card from coworkers recently, otherwise, I would never have set foot in there. Thought that 10 bucks was good enough for a sandwich with some changes left? Surprise! $11.25 for a freaking sandwich! Yes, just a sandwich, not a meal. And, how did it taste? I could go to a 7-Eleven and get a bigger sandwich that tastes the same for half the price. Overpriced shit just like Starbucks.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Yes, I know Panera is anti-2A and caters to the "woke" crowd, just like Starbucks. But, I got a 10 dollar gift card from coworkers recently, otherwise, I would never have set foot in there. Thought that 10 bucks was good enough for a sandwich with some changes left? Surprise! $11.25 for a freaking sandwich! Yes, just a sandwich, not a meal. And, how did it taste? I could go to a 7-Eleven and get a bigger sandwich that tastes the same for half the price. Overpriced shit just like Starbucks.

If you happen to receive another gift card for one of the 'woke' type establishments in the future, simply donate it to a homeless person or someone along those lines.

I really hate going into any of these places. They make my skin crawl.

The wife loves Panera, so I occasionally have to eat there against my wishes. The only thing they have that I really like is the cinnamon crunch bagel.

I got an email for certain meals costing $5.00
My wife, mom and I went and we all ordered those meals. We were told that the store was not doing that "yet". Even though the email specifically listed that store as participating.

I used to like several things on the Panera menu. The last time I was there, I had one of their "twofer" deals: the turkey/avocado sandwich and Greek salad. A "too large" slab of turkey breast (should have been sliced), half an avocado (again, not sliced) that should have not been used for being under-ripe looking like it was "thrown" onto a half-sized sandwich. The bread actually seemed stale. The salad had had its dressing applied much earlier in the day (soggy beyond belief). Everything was served straight from the refrigerator.

I also used to like their baked goods. The orange scones and cheese danish were my go-tos. They have since discontinued the cheese danish and reduced the orange scone to about half its original size.

I almost always give a restaurant three chances to disappoint me. Okay, Panera, that's three strikes---you're out!

I went to Panera in Destin Florida about 15 years ago. Once. It was a rip off then. Nice to see it hasn’t changed.

Their cinnamon crunch bagels are great. That’s all we ever get from there

My favorite part of Panera is that after you overpaid for food, you get to bus your own table. Including separating plates from silverware and refuse. I hate that place.

They are now implementing a $9 per month subscription for for unlimited coffee or tea.

Krispy Cream needs to return Panera Bread back to what made them so successful.

Off topic but they are not hiring "the brightest and the best" for delivery drivers.

IF they were paying him fifteen dollars an hour they better get a rebate. Or at least get him lessons for driving on ice and snow. It was comical watching him attempt and fail to go up a hill.

We have one in our town now. I ate there once, it was awful. Gawd awful.

The food at Panera ranges from unremarkable to very good, but it's all over-priced in my view. My wife used to like to go there on occasion. Not any more. Too expensive for what you get.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
..it's all over-priced in my view...

Just what I was going to say.

quote:

Originally posted by tk13:
The wife loves Panera,

The only thing they have that I really like is the cinnamon crunch bagel.

Try the triple chocolate walnut cookie sometime.

Yes, many of us are married and need to please our wife. Next time you take her to a beer joint, remind her of the time you went to Panera.

The opposite just happened to me. She looks at the parking lot to see where others go. She spied a place called "Longnecks" by where I was taking rehab for my ankle. They had the best ham and cheese on a pretzel bun I've tasted in a long time. We've been back 3 times now, cutting Panera out of the rotation.

Yea, it seems that the local Panera just had a price hike with the sandwiches like you mentioned up to $9.79. A little bit too rich for my tastes also. I do like their broccoli and turkey chili soups though, but they come with a hefty $ tag also.

Sad though as they're one of the only places I've found locally that serve grill cheese with bacon/tomatoes with a drive thru service.

I hate the way Panera and Starbucks put large men outside the store to grab unwary people and force them to buy their products. Dirty bastards!

Yes they have gotten pricey in the past couple years and the serving sizes are smaller too.

I used to go to one near me regularly like 10-12 years ago but haven't set foot in one for a couple years now.

It's happening everywhere now though, prices really have skyrocketed for most dining establishments.

I baked for them for two years. The food is expensive, but the markup is about the same or less than other casual restaurants. The cost is in the ingredients. For example, there are no preservatives used in the salads. This is unusual and drives up costs. The bread is baked daily on location, also another expense. The sourdough is actual San Francisco sourdough, the same started that was started in 1848. It's trucked in daily from regional bakeries. If you like deep fried, preservative laden, fat enriched food, it's not for you. Not all Panera's are snooty. We ate in the local one Sunday and it was full of horse farm workers. (We took it to go, as it was somewhat fragrant inside.)

quote:

Originally posted by tk13:
The wife loves Panera, so I occasionally have to eat there against my wishes.

Plus one

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
I baked for them for two years. The food is expensive, but the markup is about the same or less than other casual restaurants. The cost is in the ingredients. For example, there are no preservatives used in the salads. This is unusual and drives up costs. The bread is baked daily on location, also another expense. The sourdough is actual San Francisco sourdough, the same started that was started in 1848. It's trucked in daily from regional bakeries. If you like deep fried, preservative laden, fat enriched food, it's not for you. Not all Panera's are snooty. We ate in the local one Sunday and it was full of horse farm workers. (We took it to go, as it was somewhat fragrant inside.)

No question imo that I like the menu and food, I still eat from there a few times a month. It doesn't matter all that much which establishment I like is raising costs, it's just outpacing my monthly SSI income and I have to ration a bit.