Panera Bread — Restaurant in Orlando

My first indication of the quality of this place should've been when the cashier rang mine and a complete stranger's order up simultaneously, assuming we were together just because we were standing near one another. After untangling that mess and finding a seat, it came time to go get the food. I was dining in today with my sister so we had two separate plates, one of which had a big bowl of salad on it and the other had a cup of soup. When I went to the pick up area the plates weren't on a tray. No problem, I'd just ask for one right? The girl behind the counter looked at me and said "No. We don't have any."

I'm sorry, what kind of mid range dine in food place doesn't have trays these days? What year is it?

On to the actual food. While the quality is still pretty good, everything tasted fine, (they mixed up our sandwiches, it was very confusing for a moment) it came with the disappointing revelation that while Panera has kept their exorbitant prices the same, they've cut down on the portions of the food they serve--by about half.

Finally, about halfway through the meal we noticed we hadn't received the cherry pastry we'd ordered. A little exasperated at this point I took the receipt and went up to the counter and a woman who looked like a manager apologised and went to get the pastry. All was well and good until--and this is the literal cherry on top of this experience--she paused in bringing over my pastry, peered at it for a moment and then proceeded to spend several moments picking off a few of the cherries with the sheet she'd picked it up with. All in plain sight on the other side of the counter from me. And then she plated it up and handed it to me like nothing had happened. Let me take a moment to remind you that this was what appeared to be a Manager doing this. Remarkable.

All in all this has been one of the most disappointing and awkward visits to a dine in restaurant I've ever had. I've already been hearing rumors about Panera's declining quality and I'm inclined to agree now. I will not be returning to another Panera...

LONG POST ALERT*

I have to immediately write this review because I am highly grateful for the kind gesture of the manager. A few hours ago I placed an order through the Panera App and a third party (DoorDash) sent a driver by the name of Dayanna to deliver my order. After 30 minutes I received an alert that my order has arrived so I opened the door and nothing was there. I sat outside for a few moments just incase they came in my complex and just press the delivered button early. Still no one arrived. I called Panera and the manager informed me she will call DoorDash and asked me to call back in 5 minutes. I called back and someone answered the phone and immediately stated "oh that's through a third party" without trying to find a solution. I informed her what was going on and I was told to call back So she put the original person back on the phone (thank you God because they almost lost a loyal customer because of her). So I'm back on the phone with manager and she informed me DoorDash isn't answering any of her phone call attempts. I informed her I don't want a refund and she offered to deliver it herself. Listen in 30 minutes probably not even that long the manager brought my order to me. Due to the 6ft social distancing she placed my order on my porch rung my doorbell she walked back to the entry way and waited until she saw me get my order. I'm 30 I literally have been a Panera customer since I was 11 starting with the Lake Eola location (that closed down). To the manager thank you so much and when this is all over I can't wait to shake your hand. I don't know your name but I remember your face lol you are an Angel. You probably felt as if you were doing your job but you did more than you think. Again I thank you so much and you today confirmed I made a great decision becoming a Panera...

I haven’t been to any Panera bread location in years and this will be my last time. It wasn’t a terrible experience, but poor enough to not return. I entered the store one hour after opening on a Saturday. No one greeted me, so I ordered from the self service tablet, which was not convenient to use. Also, why have the customer manually type in their nickname if the payment card name is what prints out? While waiting I asked for a water cup, and the worker sighed as if she were annoyed someone would ask for water. Anything I would’ve wanted was sold out. I paid almost $16 for a cup of green tea and oatmeal with fruit… the same meal at home would’ve been tastier and cost me $2. My order never showed up on the pickup screen (probably someone manipulating the tracking system), so I had to inquire about it. The worker preparing food had an unpleasant air to him. When picking my food up, I was given no cup for tea. I was holding the clear plastic water cup. When I requested my tea cup, the worker proceeds to ask if I intended to use the plastic cup for tea… in hindsight, had he suggested I do and hot water melted through the cup, I would’ve had a nice lawsuit on my hands. It was ignorant for him to suggest I use a plastic cup for hot tea, and patronizing considering the inflated price I just paid for such a simple order. Now, if anyone in management is reading this… I would not have left a bad review IF the whole dining room was not dirty. One hour after opening, only one other patron in the building, and the tables, floors, tablets, countertops all dirty. Judging by the other reviews, consistent service is not offered...