Panera Bread — Restaurant in Shelby Charter Township

I never get orders for this store. I'm a doordash driver. I walk in and ask the girl at the front where to go for doordash. She says "it's in the back." So, I walk down the dark aisle way & direct my head forward to the area where they make the food and sling orders out. I look behind me and there is a shelf with 2 deliveries on it, neither are for me. So I of course figure that is the delivery shelf. I'll spoil the story up front.. there was a turn you have to make that nobody told me about and another shelf on the side. Easily misable if I simply walk forward like humans do and wait in a line standing straight. I waited while a gal chatted about sleeping on her breaks and having to have someone wake her for her shift when it began again, tall brunette. I waited 10 minutes or so for the order as they had some come out, waiting for mine. Didn't come, so I asked if it's up yet. This lady begins to, and with all due respect, lie to me. She says sometimes they don't get the order til after the driver arrives at the store. Every delivery driver for doordash knows this is false. I ask her for a clarification, and it made no sense. She basically said that their Panera doesn't apply to doordash like others... but yet, I was there... hmm i say okay in a manner in which I know she was fabricating when she could just tell the truth. I was calm the entire time and when I said "ok" to her speech, it was in a manner that concluded the conversation, not in which i was being rude, I just didnt believe what she was saying, and I'm allowed that. (And because I didn't believe it her ego got a bit hurt and the end of the story confirms her ego was hurt or else they wouldn't have been so hyphy about the mistake and conversation. I went back to waiting. And then get this... 30 seconds after, she proved she was lying and lied when I asked if she was lying because the order was ready before I got there on that shelf that was in a peculiar spot. The tall brunette goes walking back into the aisle way and points at it around the bend. BUT THEY ARE A SERVICE JOB AND SAT LETTING ME WAIT WHILE I THOUGHT THEY WERE MAKING THE ORDER, but they were chatting and not working... with no orders up for them. We made eye contact several times. Specifically with the tall brunette. (So, I'm saying overall they coildve helped in their service job, but chose to chat about nappy time. Then, sprinkles on top after the tall brunette walks around the way down the aisle, points at the order, while I'm still in earshot. One or two, I think the manager even was one, "Wowwww" me as I grab the order whilst thanking her as she swiftly turns her back on me and "wows." To where customers can hear them say it. How rude, honestly. For a simple mistake that, let's be honest, isn't totally mine as people don't usually turn around in the situation I was in and go backwards and nobody told me, there is no signs pointing at it saying "to the right", and bad store layout. I walked back in and the girls at the front were very nice and they offered a manager but the manager may have been the one acting interesting. So, I decided since she would probably give me corporates number anyways, I thought I'd just find the number myself. And a quick tip, if someone comes in asking where to go for doordash, it may be helpful to point to the shelf, or a sign or verbalize that more than "in the back", then watching them wait for 10 to 15 for nothing is quite foolish as well. And finally, it's quite small perspective to think that just because YOU occupy that store everyday, that every random person that never comes there should know the layout off of the store as well. Small. I hope they are able to step not only their service game up, but their human game up...

Wow… I have a good understanding how restaurant chains work, franchisees and owned-ones, but this particular one never fails to disappoint.

Either some sides are not available (their lack of baguette, for soups, is a constant reminder we choose other places in the area) or the order is not mindfully prepared (“no onion in the sandwich, please” gets someone ignored). All these mishaps add costs (need another sandwich) and loss of revenues (customers shop somewhere else).

Let’s remind ourselves that Panera means “Bread Bin” or bread basket - and for good measure, let’s ensure the name of the chain says “Bread”: so Panera Bread should definitely have breads, pastries, readily available until 1h before closing time. And the staff should be empowered by reinforcing the mission statement of the brand.

How? Better demand forecasting, staffing, management. That particular location has been in operation for more than 5 years - likely 10 years. This means a lot of weeks and seasons passed, and they have accumulated a lot of historical figures for forecasting and actuals throughout these years. They should not have to say “breakfast consumes a lot of baguettes” as an excuse not to have baguettes for soups in the evening, as the cashier was trying to come up with some answers. When the manager was called in - “no, chips are not an option for soup” - he suggested to use the bread loves, for which they had 3-4 still available. This means the cashier was not empowered to use that bread as an alternate… Strike 1.

What is more, when we received our soups, there were baguettes with our order! So… the fulfillment order software didn’t know about that? Add this to the demand forecast issues. Strike 2.

When the manager has to be always on top of things, there is a structural problem with the business: either you don’t trust your staff, or you don’t communicate openly the intent of the business. I get it, we’ve been in a pandemic for the last 2 years and supply chain as well as the workforce have changed. But there are was to maintain a business and positively support customers: shorten the menu, focus on employees (money is not everything, trust me) and make that workplace fun. Toxicity leads to distrust, distrust leads to angst, angst makes for a bad workplace. Strike 3.

I know Panera Bread is better than that, as a brand. Fix these issues, and get back that 5...

Drive away. Drive by. Whatever. Don't stop here. It isn't just the staff that seems to be semi-incompetent. Perhaps they were never trained. It's the management too.

9/25/18 at 8:10 PM I gave my order at the drive through. Got up to the window and paid. 5 minutes later I'm told that the bread for my sandwich isn't available. Perhaps this would have been good info before I paid? So I changed my bread order, and sat. And sat. And sat. The 2 cars behind me left. I was watching through the window and the 'crew' was standing and talking and laughing. A couple wiped half-heartedly at different things. NO food left the kitchen. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, what I assume is upper management (fancy shirt) called them all together. He stood with a clipboard and had a conversation with them approaching 10 minutes. So I began honking my horn to get their attention. One of the crew came finally and told me "Sorry, we're slammed". There were 2 people in line in the restaurant. And I was the only person left in the drive through because everyone else jumped a curb and drove away. Slammed at 8:10 at night on a Monday? Ok. Sure.

Summary: crew is inefficient, appears untrained, and manager chooses piss poor timing to have meetings. That just shows you he's clueless too. Total time in the drive through window: 25-30 minutes. Nothing offered as recompense either. Do NOT go to...