Panera Bread — Restaurant in North Charleston

Disappointing Experience from Start to Finish

I recently dined at Panera Bread and unfortunately, my experience was overwhelmingly negative. I had high hopes going in, but several issues made it difficult to enjoy the meal.

Service: From the moment I arrived, the staff seemed disorganized and inattentive. It took over 15 minutes for anyone to greet me or let alone acknowledge my presence. I placed my order online which was not ready, there were multiple mix-ups, and the staff showed little urgency or concern about the delays. However, a staff member did mention if I come back to make sure “I let them know when I arrive, so they know I’m here” …. Normally entering a place of business its customary to greet your customers, but maybe Panera Bread does things differently.

Food Quality: While I don’t expect every dish to be perfect, the overall quality was quite poor. The entrée (Grilled Cheese) was not grilled properly. It was not even warm …. It looked as if someone took a piece of cheese, stuck it between two pieces of bread and heated it up in the microwave.

Atmosphere: The ambiance itself could have been pleasant, but it was overshadowed by the chaotic service. The restaurant was also unusually noisy—not just from other patrons, but from the staff loudly chatting in the kitchen area.

Value for Money: Given the high prices, I expected better service, better-tasting dishes, and at least a clean environment. Unfortunately, Panera Bread didn’t deliver on any of these fronts, making it feel like I wasted my money.

Overall Impression: I left disappointed and frustrated. There is plenty of room for improvement in terms of service efficiency, food quality, and basic hygiene. I hope the management takes notice and makes the necessary changes, but I don’t plan on returning anytime soon. Next time I will just make my own grilled cheese and save the hassle for...

Placed my order for Roper St. Francis's Pink Ribbon Bagel Breast Cancer fundraiser on October 1st around 8:15 a.m. for the order to be picked up on October 12th at 10:00 a.m. When I arrived to Panera Bread, I went through the drive thru to pick up my order and was told they were unable to do that at the drive thru. Very inconvenient but agreed and went inside. Once inside I told the gentleman at the register I was there to pick up my order for my preorder of 6 cherry vanilla pink ribbon bagel's. A lady went to the back and then came back up front and said what bagels did I want because they were all sold out of the pink ribbon bagels. SOLD OUT OF MY PRE ORDER 12 DAYS AGO?? So, she gives me 6 bagels (3 cinnamon; 3 cheese) and tells the guy to ring it up under pink ribbon bagels so the proceeds still go to Breast Cancer. So I went to pay for my order. I asked the guy if they had apple pay and he said yes so I explained to him I had never used apple pay and asked for assistance. He said, "Do you just have a card you can use?" By this point, I am saying in my head...I will never support Panera Bread again. So, while I am standing there trying to process how they sold out of a pre order, why this order could not have been taken care of at the drive through, and why he could not assist me with apple pay, I was tapping my credit card on the counter. The young man at the register said, "Stop! Don't do that. It hurts me." Excuse me! I don't care how much something hurts you, you are serving the customer and that is not appropriate to tell a customer. Needless to say, I will NOT be supporting this Panera Bread! Very poor customer service...

After church on Easter Sunday, my daughter and I thought we'd grab a bite. Upon entering, nobody greeted us with the usual, "Good Morning, welcome to Panera...nor did the cashier say anything at all. We ordered 2 everything bagels with bacon, egg, and cheese; a Iced Caramel Latte; and a Large Madagascar Vanilla Latte Cold Brew (see pic). Paid and then sat. When ready we picked up the order and sat. I looked at my drink, and said thus is not a Large. I looked at my receipt and got charged for a regular size. I took my drink and receipt back to the counter, and explained I ordered a large. Another cashier came over, and said they don't have a button on the inside register for that option, that it was only on the drive-thru register. I said I would still like the large and was ready to pay the difference. Then another worker/manager came over and said they can't give a large. I asked about all the other Cold Brews on the menu, and he said they don't sell larges. I pointed out that they need to block over the option on the menu. I asked if the Ice Coffee comes in a large. He said yes. So I asked to put it in that cup. He said he would have to charge me for 2 regulars then...($8.38 for a $5.39 drink?) I said no thanks. They were not helpful...nor did they even apologize. We ate our meals and went to leave. Nobody from the Staff even said "Have a nice day" as we left the establishment. Been to 2 other locations and always have been treated with dignity and respect. I WILL NOT visit this location again. Horrible customer service...on Easter...