Panera Bread — Restaurant in Hampden Township

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Service at Panera Location 6391 Carlisle Pike – September 7

I am writing to formally express my deep disappointment with the service my husband and I experienced at your location on Sunday, September 7, at approximately 11:15 a.m.

Upon arrival, there were seven guests seated in the café and five customers waiting at the counter. No employee was present to greet or assist anyone. Although five employees were visible in the kitchen/prep area, none acknowledged us. In addition, a visibly pregnant employee restocking the beverage station walked past us four separate times without a greeting or acknowledgment. After waiting for about five minutes, we eventually noticed a self-order kiosk and placed our order. Other guests, many of them older, clearly struggled with the kiosk and appeared uncomfortable using it.

This is unacceptable and reflects poorly on the Panera brand. When multiple employees are on shift, there is no justification for ignoring customers at the counter and forcing them to use kiosks. This creates an impersonal and frustrating experience for guests who come expecting hospitality and service.

Furthermore, I attempted to order a bacon soufflé that was prominently displayed in the case. I was then informed the item had been “retired.” If items are no longer available, they should not remain in guest view, as this misleads customers and adds to the dissatisfaction.

It is important to note that the café was not busy at the time. The lack of acknowledgment and refusal to provide basic service were not the result of volume but rather a failure in staff training and engagement. If employees are being paid for their time on the floor, they should be consistently attentive to the guests who make their employment possible.

As loyal customers who work hard for the money we choose to spend dining out, this experience was both disappointing and disheartening. Based on this visit, we will not return to this location and are now reconsidering our support of the Panera brand altogether.

I urge Panera to address these service issues at this location with urgency. Guests should never be left feeling ignored or undervalued, especially in an industry where hospitality and service...

I used to order from this Panera frequently and have never had issues. This is actually an issue with both Panera and DoorDash.

I placed a lunch order on panera.com and apparently this went through door dash. I did not receive a call or email letting me know that my order had arrived or was even being prepared. When I clicked on the "track my order" option it had said that my driver delivered the order but was unable to enter the building because he did not have a mask. So he left it outside on the bench. The driver wasn't even at the correct building so by the time I had walked down to the bench outside, my order was gone. Someone had either thrown it away or taken it to eat themselves. I called the driver and the number was disconnected. So I called Panera and they said that because the order was through door dash, I had to call them for a refund or a remake. I called door dash and they asked if I had contacted the driver. I said yes so they tried to call him. It went straight to voicemail. So doordash attempted to call the restaurant. The phone continued to ring with no one answering and no option to leave a message. So then doordash called Panera corporate and I supposedly will be receiving a refund. So I was out $12 and no lunch today. Absolutely unacceptable from...

We come most weekends for convenience it seems and I thought I would share our expectations through experience: 1- Ask for half and half two or three times because the carafe is likely empty; 2- They might have what you order but don’t be surprised if they offer you a substitute when you go to pick it up; 3- Your sausage and egg sandwich (if you so order) may or may not have sausage on it; 4- Tables and chairs will likely have evidence of what the previous patrons were eating so grab a few extra napkins and expect to wipe down your table and chairs. To be honest, I’m not sure how people get so many crumbs on the place they are sitting but that’s another discussion. Lastly, you should have a wide tolerance of expectations for the level of toast your sandwiche bread may exhibit: anywhere from mostly warm to charred well done. Fortunately, you can temper your expectations based on the level of smoke and smell of burnt baked goods prior to your order being ready. If there were some quaint weekend breakfast places, my wife would rather frequent one of those. But alas, we will likely revisit this Panera with low expectations for quality of service but still enjoy each other’s company and light hearted...