Panera Bread — Restaurant in Naples

This month's winner of you just can't make this stuff up!!!!

I volunteer at a local hospital and witnessed a horrific situation by the Panera on Tamiami Trl N Naples, Fl. (Gateway) on Tuesday, Feb. 15th.  We had just opened for elective surgeries  and expanded visiting rules as the Covid cases dropped to a new low. People needing surgeries, in some cases for cancer or other serious diseases, were literally lined up out the door. In the middle of the mayhem a disheveled , unkempt Panera delivery guy walks in with 5 big bags of food and drops them on the floor in an area hidden by a desk.  He was informed they should be placed in an area where all food deliveries go so we could keep an eye on them. He refused, and left them on the floor. He was then told he had to contact the person receiving the food since we were dealing with a record number of patients and visitors and did not have the time or resources to handle his delivery. He told our staff 'well other people will call, so should you'. He was informed that  it was not going to happen this time.. We are a hospital caring for the sick, not a delivery service. He left the food on the floor and walked out. It was an order from some outside salesperson who was treating some clients. About 90 minutes later one of our staff noticed the food was still sitting on the floor on the side of a desk. He had never called. We called Panera to let them know their delivery was still sitting here. A rude, obnoxious woman took the call and said 'so you waited 90 minutes to call us...and you didn't call the person to say it was here?!! I'm calling her now and telling her you didn't call when it arrived!!!' Really? That psycho tried to turn Panera's uncaring incompetence into the fault of the hospital staff who was caring for an unprecedented number of patients needing surgery. I don't care how hard it is to get help...that manager and delivery jerk should be fired on the spot. We are done with you Panera....

I was not impressed by not only the general "service" provided by this Panera location nor was I impressed by the fact that it seems like Panera no longer wants to actually SERVE the customer. I called into Panera to pre-order to go as I normally have and when I called in the young lady that answered the phone asked me to hold for the manager. After holding for longer than I thought was necessary probably 4-5 minutes, the manager came on the line and started to explain that they no longer take phone in orders, not sure why I had to wait to be told they would not be taking my order. Seeing as I was in a bit of a hurry and was trying to save time by calling it in (which I could have completed an online order in the time I was holding) but by the time I hung up with her and placed my order online I was in the parking lot of Panera. I went inside to place my order and was once again faced with cold, sniffly, unprofessional service. Luckily the food was sufficient and I ate it with weary concern about the cleanliness and safety of what I was consuming. I realized as I was leaving that there were several station set up for processing your own order in which may have been why they were so irritated I asked them to do it for me. I won't be visiting this...

Upon visiting Naples, we were so excited to go back to Panera (since there are none where we live) We always always come for the soufflé. They're amazing every time! However the experience we received coming to this store was very disappointing.. We ordered our food & finished it. I went back for seconds & they were out of the ones we wanted to. I go back to my spouse to see which one they want & I go back & there's a lady ordering with the cashier. I go to the kiosk to make it faster & then wait on the side. I see a worker from the back coming to grab the soufflé & the cashier tell her that she'll get it. There was a line so that cashier goes back to the customers & I'm waiting on mine. She then goes to the bathroom & I'm still waiting on my food. She took her time btw. By the time I was finally able to get my food from the confused staff, she came out. That's just straight up so rude! Panera has always been a place we get excited to come back to! & this just threw us off so much. I know it was on purpose bc I was the only person in the lobby when that one lady was ordering & the cashier was eye balling me. Go have a bad day somewhere...