Panera Bread — Restaurant in Cold Spring

Cannot recommend delivery from this location (4318 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY) due to repeatedly missing items, and their unwillingness to compensate for it.

I hadn't complained about missing items until today, and this was finally enough. I had used the Panera app to place an online order for delivery, which was handled by a 3rd-party, Doordash. After opening the sealed bag, I discovered that $15 worth of food were missing (large mac & cheese, and a focaccia loaf.)

I immediately called the restaurant and explained the situation. The person answering the phone - John - told me that the other bag was waiting at the restaurant, that the Dasher had missed it, and so this was a "Doordash problem" that I would need to take up with them. I told John that was unacceptable, that I had used the Panera app for the order, and the fact that they use a 3rd party to complete delivery is not my concern. John suggested that I come to the store and pick up the remainder of the order. Frustrated, I asked for a full refund - Panera isn't cheap, especially delivery for a family of four with a 20% tip. John (and others I spoke with in the store) refused, repeating again and again that I need to take this up with Doordash. John said that he couldn't refund the full meal, as I had received some of the items. That is true, but it completely defeats the purpose of paying for delivery and tip for a meal intended for four people. I would not have ordered from Panera at all if I had known I would not receive all items.

I suggested that, instead, the store can send someone out to pick up the food that was delivered, and then they can give me a full refund. John, of course, refused. I wasn't really expecting them to come pick up their food, but since John thought it was a good idea that I should drive out to the store to pick up the remainder of my delivery order, it seemed like fair game to ask them to just do the reverse.

Whether Doordash made a mistake in missing the other bag is debateable - Panera delivery bags are sealed, so the Dasher can't just peek in and see if everything is there. Regardless - the fact that Panera used a 3rd party for delivery is irrelevant: I used the Panera app to place my order, not the Doordash app.

This bungled order came to $57.81. And that's not counting the missing items on previous orders.

DO NOT ORDER DELIVERY FROM PANERA AT 4318 Alexandria Pike in...

Very awkward experience. I met a friend here. Nobody was at the counter; Two customers were tapping at tablets that I soon realized were ordering stations. I ordered everything okay but my friend had issues finding the size of bowl she wanted. The tablets told us to grab a pager and enter its number; none of the pagers had numbers (I don't think they were charged). I helped another customer figure this out since no employee was nearby.

We found a table (a number of them were dirty, with trash left behind; I had to wipe ours down) and waited. We had no idea when our food was ready, because we didn't have working pagers. I eventually found mine and my friend's was ready a while after that. My food was great, at least (veggie soup in a bread bowl), but my friend's was cold when it was supposed to be warm. We didn't have time to reorder, so she picked at it and eventually got a refund. The employee apologized to her and was helpful, so that's a plus.

This Panera feels like an experiment that will fail if it doesn't shape up quick. The employees were nice, but they were hidden behind walls in the kitchen! The focus on tech and self-service feels so cold and impersonal. I would not revisit this location and cannot recommend it as a calming...

It's not uncommon to see the door still locked at 6:15am on a weekday. I call the store to ask them to open the door but they don't answer. On one of these frequent occasions an employee was standing there with me. She ultimately went around back and then came to the door to let me in. On an afternoon visit I walked in and had someone pass me on their way out (he was empty handed). He said, "good luck finding someone to help you. I gave up." It's very common to see multiple people in the back but never check the counter. The most recent fun was that you couldn't order a large drink because they didn't have large cups. The coffee regularly has grounds in the cup.

Turning to corporate. They charged my credit card for an annual Sip Club subscription when I clearly had the option selected to use gift card balance first. I asked for a refund and it's been almost 1.5 months and still no refund. They say it's in the works and the delay is "entirely up to my credit card company." We all know a refund takes a few days max. They are simply holding onto everyone's money as long as they can. Run, do not walk from this...