Panera Bread — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually draws me into a Panera Bread, but my recent visit to the Salt Lake City International Airport location left me with mixed feelings. As a seasoned traveler who relies on good food and efficient service, I always appreciate a familiar spot in an airport setting. However, this particular Panera Bread experience highlighted the often unavoidable trade off of convenience for cost and quality in an airport environment. I grabbed a quick breakfast here during a layover. I ordered my usual, a breakfast sandwich and a coffee, hoping for that comforting Panera taste. The food quality was acceptable; the sandwich was warm and filling enough to get me through my next flight, and the coffee provided the necessary caffeine boost. It was on par with what I would expect from an average quick service restaurant, but it did not particularly stand out. The primary issue, and one that is fairly common in airports, was the pricing. My simple breakfast totaled more than double what I would pay at a standard Panera Bread outside of an airport. I understand the logistical challenges and higher operating costs associated with airport businesses, but the "overpriced" aspect was significant enough to be noteworthy. Travelers are often a captive audience, and it feels like this location fully leverages that fact. The service was efficient, which is crucial in an airport. I appreciated the speed at which I received my order, allowing me to make my way to my gate without added stress. The dining area was clean and offered a decent spot to sit and eat, although seating can be competitive during peak travel times. Overall, if you are looking for a quick and familiar bite before a flight, this Panera Bread will suffice. Just be prepared for the inflated airport prices. The food is okay, providing a reliable if uninspired meal. For me, it was a necessary stop, but not a particularly memorable...

If I could give 0 stars, I absolutely would. We had an early morning flight and ordered a bagel and a sandwich. The workers were terrible and hid in the back. There were only five orders ahead of us. 2 completed quickly. Then we waited 22 minutes for ours to be complete. The workers were just hanging out and even took a personal call. Couldn’t even try to cancel our order because no one was around up front. They threw out like 8 bags on the window but for almost 10 mins didn’t give them out to anyone - everyone’s orders got cold. Then eventually a worker came to the front and gave away orders to people at the bottom of the list. I mean a bagel and a sandwich wasn’t a large complicated order…. Everyone was getting sandwiches. I went to say something to a worker but he and another male worker grabbed a water and the sandwich they made for themselves and just left. The only reason that we got our food was because we grabbed it off the counter… and it wasn’t even our complete order but at least it was something. Horrible experience. It turned away a ton of frustrated customers - left without ordering or left after ordering without it their food. The employees lacked any motivation or professionalism. Love Panera, but hated the one at the airport. Don’t go early morning - especially if you are crunched for time. Hoping other employees / times of...

I had an incredibly frustrating experience at Panera in SLC during a layover. I ordered food for myself and my daughter through the Grab app via Priority Pass, expecting it to be ready in 30 minutes as indicated. With over an hour to spare, I figured this would be plenty of time before my next flight.

I stood waiting for 35 minutes, watching many others also waiting, assuming the delay was just due to busyness. It wasn’t until I received a boarding notification that I asked about my order—only to be told they never even saw it. Instead of making things right, they offered cookies and pastries instead of the meals we ordered.

The lack of professionalism was beyond frustrating, especially since my young child had to go without food due to their disorganization. If they can’t handle mobile orders, they shouldn’t accept them. This experience left a terrible impression, and I won’t be trusting this...