Panera Bread — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I have been going to Panera for over 10 years, and this is the worse location by far.

Over the past few weeks, an employee I have never seen before named XAVI has harassed me and given me a hard time for my using my own sealed container to transfer the beverage from the Panera cup to my own container. This is language from the Panera website: "Panera's Use Your Own Cup Program ("Program") is available in participating U.S. Panera Bread bakery-cafes. Customers may use their personal, pre-washed resuable cups for ... 30 oz cold beverages...." I have even been asked by other Panera employees if I needed a cup, or did I want to use my own.

I usually get about 24 oz of ice black coffee and 8 oz of half and half, since I like a 3 to 1 ratio. I use separate containers for the coffee and half and half, since I don't want to mix cold half and half with hot or warm coffee until I am ready to drink it as ice coffee.

My Unlimited Sip Club membership also entitles me to "unlimited refills", and "additions such as milk, skim milk, almond milk, half & half, and sweeteners " (also from the Panera website). So if I get just one refill, I would be getting about 60 oz of drink total.

I use my own container to save plastic and mainly because the Panera large cups are not stable in the car. I have spilled large cups in the car on several occasions. Sometimes the lids on the cups also do not fit tight, since some lids are deformed.

This XAVI guy told me I can't transfer the cup contents to my own container or use my own container to hold the beverages. I told him I have the Unlimited Sip Club membership and that Panera has a "Use Your Own Cup Program" posted on the website. He did not care or agree. He said that I could not transfer the contents in store to take the beverage out. He said the Unlimited Sip Club is for "in store" consumption only, not "to go" and I had to leave first and come back for a refill (this does not make any sense and is clearly wrong according to the website).

I also explained that the large cup often spills in my car, so I need a sealed container. He said "I don't care if it spills."

On the last visit, an associate gave me a cup and I proceeded to fill it 3/4th with coffee. I walked to the counter to get the half and half, and when I returned XAVI was waiting for me and started harassing me. All I was doing at the time was filling the Panera cup the rest of the way up with half and half. I had not even started transferring the coffee to my own container. At this time XAVI told me to leave. I again told him that I am a paying customer, have an Unlimited Sip Club membership and Panera has a "Use Your Own Cup Program" that I am utilizing. He did not care and continued to harass me and tell me to leave. I spilled some coffee trying to transfer it to my container (although I also use a funnel), since I was being harassed and distracted by XAVI and now a SECURITY GUARD at the time.

I started to walk out, but tried to use the restroom to wash the spilled coffee off me. XAVI refused to let me use the restroom.

Previously, in addition to incorrect orders, I have run into homeless people just hanging out for hours, including one lady with her dog! Some of these homeless bring their own food to heat in the Panera microwave and eat it in the dining room. I even offered to give the homeless lady some dog food for her dog, but she said it eats what she eats, and proceeded to open a can of tuna in the store and feed her dog and herself.

Other times, people with dogs that are not service dogs came into the store to eat despite health department rules.

Don't patronize this location. Instead go to the Culver City or El Segundo locations unless you want to face dictatorial and ignorant workers like XAVI, get your order wrong and...

Used to visit here often, but after an incident where I observed a manager aggressively arguing with a paying customer and threatening to call the police on her (she had her injured leg propped up on one the chairs, and had been there for an extended prior), I decided to go elsewhere for a few months.

Today I was in the area and decided to pop in to see if things had improved. The restaurant seems cleaner than usually and slightly refreshed (not sure what it was, they probably cleaned the carpets and moved some furniture around). Food here is more expensive than other locations - okay, I get it, they are close to LAX and West LA.

As usual, expect to be profiled here as low-income or homeless and be treated accordingly. They do have a very outgoing friendly manager here that rings you up. But he was helping another customer and another manager assisted me. I put my number in on the keypad and steps were missed. She hastily asked what drink I wanted and seemed ready to move on. I asked about my rewards and said that I wanted to order food, but only bought an bread item for a bit over $5 (implies low-income). I paid with my debit card from a bank account with a few thousand dollars available, while she stepped away to start slicing and toasting the bread.

While I was making my coffee, she called out to me that my card had been declined (very indiscrete and embarrassing). Another manager echo the same thing loudly in front of other customers he was helping. She rang me up again and the card went through with no problems. Seems that in her haste to make my order (which I perceived as getting rid of me, since I am known to them), she forget to complete the transaction properly on the cash register. In all fairness to this manager, I think that she mostly works in the back office and is not used to ringing up customers. I had never had a problem with her before either.

Met another "manager" who seems to be new (Julie). Asked her for a sandwich/pastry box to take my left-overs. She said that they did not have any and that I could only get sandwiches wrapped. She was abrupt, and had an aggressive, combative attitude. I asked her if she a manager and she said that she was the manager (for the store). While being there for over an hour, another manager was on "patrol" to see who had been overstaying...

I was a chronic Starbucks drinker spending upwards of 10-20 daily on iced tea for years. I randomly came across Panera’s sip club program and decided to give it a try. Well, what a great decision that was. For approximately 12 bucks a month, I can pop in every two hours and grab a free coffee, tea, charged beverage or fountain drink free! I usually stick to the bubbly lime (sparkling water) or iced tea. Here and there, I’ll grab a kitchen sink cookie (I couldn’t tell you what’s in it however it’s topped with fleur de sel), Orange Scone or a bagel. I take issue that the cream cheese is extra.

I skip the food portion as this place is overpriced. I’ve picked up a “Pick Two” a couple times which gives you a Half Sandwich, bowl of soup, chili or mac and cheese and a choice of an apple, kettle chips or baguet. Sounds like a good deal until you see the portions. You can easily spend 20+ dollars per person just to get full.

This location is clean, the staff friendly and although it’s always hot in here, I’d like to spotlight an employee. His name is Sean. Sean always has a smile on his face, he calls me by my first name, and I feel extremely comfortable coming to this location. I suffer with social anxiety, and it can take almost 45 minutes for me to get out of the car just to get my order. People like Sean make that struggle easier and calming. You never know what someone is going through however he treats you good no matter if you order a free drink, full meal or need the code to the restroom. And that goes a long way in my book. Panera, between the sip club membership and partners such as Sean, you have a winning...