Panera Bread — Restaurant in Huntington Beach

Update: September 17 2022. The Manager went completely nuts, seems the kids faked him out of his common sense...he barricaded a front egress and more than likely chained the back emergency exit also, as he has in the past with disregard to public safety. With inadequate egress and no emergency exit to the rear of the establishment I wound think twice about relaxing and or enjoying a lunch or breakfast. The ombiance is bizarre and almost sad. I'll take me business elsewhere.

Update: July 23rd 2021 the endless Summer. So I started thinking about the chaos at Panera as last I found it so I thought I'd check in today and all is quiet I see no high school kids and I see no manager hopefully the kids and the manager are doing okay. Other than that the service is great not too crowded and no crazy stuff going on I was able to walk out the emergency exit and use the restroom. Some third world Nations could take heed. So I decided to write a haiku for Panera HB

Can aluminum Bottle Bill legislation Planet spins and pukes

I sent it into Haiku headquarters in Tokyo and they say this is one solid haiku!!

Manager seems overwhelmed and clueless when it comes to youth, he closes restrooms and designated egress for emergencies because of the high school students across the street which is a safety hazard and he just gets rude with customers because of his inept way of communicating with the younger crowd. Probably be better off at a different location if they could switch managers might add a couple years to his life and advert a catastrophe bite is off cuff responses to his frustrations on not being able to deal with his client base. It's a real train...

Subject: Formal Complaint – Disrespectful Treatment at Panera Bread

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding an unpleasant and unprofessional experience I had at your Panera Bread location.

On 08/15/25, I visited the restaurant and ordered a simple coffee. Within just 10 minutes of sitting down, I overheard the General Manager (a white male) and a supervisor (a Black male) speaking loudly and making derogatory comments clearly intended for me to hear. Their conversation included remarks that “Panera isn’t a library or office area,” dismissive comments about other customers, and a statement implying that my SIP Club coffee order “wasn’t good enough” because the program is “not something they really honor.”

As a paying customer, this treatment was uncalled for, unprofessional, and disrespectful. All I was doing was sending a few emails to my doctors to confirm medical appointments—I am a disabled veteran who served this country honorably. To be met with hostility and exclusion over something so basic was disheartening and offensive.

This experience made me feel unwelcome and singled out. It also reflects poorly on Panera Bread’s customer service values. As a result, I am canceling my SIP Club subscription and will be taking my business elsewhere. Unfortunately, this incident showed me that Panera Bread does not value or respect me as a customer, or as a veteran.

I expect Panera Bread to take this complaint seriously, address the behavior of the employees involved, and ensure no other customer—especially a veteran—is treated with such...

While visiting the area, we stopped in for breakfast. Though we've never been to this Panera, as a frequent Panera patron, we assumed it was a good option. The restaurant was only 25% occupied, yet the staff seemed busy and distracted. After ordering, we filled our drinks and located a table to sit down. Unfortunately, several tables were open, but had not been cleaned in a while. While waiting on our order, I went to the restroom, but discovered a lock on the door requiring a code. I approached a staff member to ask for the code, but she didn't know. I then approached the manager to ask, but without even looking at me said, "I can't be distracted right now, I'm focused on something." A little stunned, I went to sit down. As another staff member was wondering the lobby, I asked for the code, and he was kind enough to share. The restroom needed to be cleaned and the smell was awful. It reminded me of a truck stop restroom in the middle of nowhere. This was very surprising for a Huntington Beach Panera. Our food order took some time to arrive, but was well presented and tasty. Overall, I would not recommend this Panera. Though the food was fine, the poor customer service and the lack of cleanliness in the entire building doesn't warrant...