Panera Bread — Restaurant in Maryland

I don’t even know where to begin with this disaster of a Panera. I came here hoping for a simple job, maybe make some sandwiches, refill the tea, go home with my sanity intact. Instead, I got dragged into a toxic soup of unprofessionalism, favoritism, and pure dysfunction. Let’s talk about Juan — the general manager who acts like he’s running a five-star French bistro instead of a chain café where people microwave mac and cheese. I was barely trained, worked TWICE in a whole month, and then suddenly got ghosted. No schedule, no communication. Just silence. I had to chase him down for answers, and when I finally got him on the phone, this man had the audacity to tell me I was “on call” because I didn’t meet his “standards.” What standards?? You trained me to make food and then expected me to magically know how to run the whole store like your beloved Peyton — who, by the way, quit. Maybe she was smart for getting out of there. And the way he spoke to me? Completely rude, dismissive, and degrading. Told me he didn’t have time to “hold my hand like a baby.” Excuse me??? I’m 18 — not a psychic. You can’t expect people to improve if you don’t give them feedback or training. That’s just bad management. Oh, and shoutout to Salma — the grown adult coworker who decided her favorite hobby was snitching and gossiping to the boss behind people’s backs. I guess some people peak in the Panera kitchen. When I finally said I’d report all of this to corporate, Juan HUNG UP ON ME. Real professional, right? For someone who “wants to keep his employees,” he sure knows how to make people feel disposable. Avoid this location at all costs — whether you’re applying to work or just want a bagel. Your order will probably be wrong, the energy is cursed, and the vibes are as stale as the cookies sitting out...

I love bagels. I love Panera. I don't care for and probably will never return to this location.

I walked in today 4/30/2018, around 10:50am and began to order a bagel. I was quickly interrupted and informed that there were only a few bagels left and that breakfast was over. I asked what kind of bagels are remaining? The female cashier yelled down to ask another worker what was left. He yelled back. I decided to walk the few feet to see for myself. There were about two dozen bagels remaining, of various flavors. I was slightly bothered because I have never been to a Panera and could not order a bagel. I have never even imagined that I come in 25 minutes after breakfast and the bagels are almost gone. I remember back in the day when Panera was my office, I used to sit and have two or three Bagels in the middle of the afternoon. What happened?

I ordered a toasted asiago cheese bagel with butter. It was promptly delivered, and I must say with a smile. I immediately went to my seat and attempted to put Frozen butter on my room-temperature at best (toasted bagel).

Though it wasn't what I ordered, the bagel was nevertheless delicious. So I decided to go back and order a muffin. The muffins, like the bagels, were slim pickings, but nevertheless as the lady in front of me complete her order I stepped up to place mine.

I was told by the same guy who prepared my bagel that I needed to get in the other line. The other line was seven or eight people deep. I said no problem, placed my money back in my pocket, turned and walked out of the door. Thank you very much Panera Bread, Bowie...

The food is always great. The store is clean and the staff is friendly. What stood out to me, enough to write this review, were two particular staff members that deserve some credit: Bryan(Brian?) and Kelly.

Some background: Kelly has been working there for years. She’s ALWAYS smiling and happy. Seriously it infectious. It’s such a stark contrast from most food service establishments and it makes you feel good interacting with an employee that is genuinely happy to see/help you. I’ve interacted with Bryan a few times, always nice a d professional. Today, per usual, I ordered for curbside pickup. First off, I appreciate how this store always nails all of my special requests: extra sauce, light tomatoes, whatever, every single time.

Following a recent surgery, I’ve been relegated to a clear liquid diet. I mean literally just broth. So I placed my order for French onion soup. Because you can only add 38 characters in special requests, it was too long to write no cheese, no onions, no bread, just broth. I figured I would just strain it at home, but decided I should at least try to call the store. Bryan answered the phone. Not only did he not act like I was crazy for my request, he pulled my already completed order off the shelf, repaired the soup with as much broth and as little everything else, as possible. I mean honestly, when you’re forced to eat broth only, for days and weeks, it’s literally depressing. This one action may not seem like a big deal, but it made my day, maybe...