Panera Bread — Restaurant in Smyrna

One and done for me. Placed an order the night before for an afternoon pickup. Received an email instructing me to go retrieve my food off the “rapid” pickup shelf…Hours before my scheduled time. I did not see the email until I checked it 5 mins after my pickup time, which I was 5 mins early for. No order and in the 10 mins I stood there no one asked if I needed anything. My name was not in the queue of names on the preparing list. I asked an associate if my order was picked up since they sat it out first thing that morning and not for the time I specified. She informs me that my order was in a box and would now need an additional 10 mins to heat. Mind you they have a ridiculous 5 minute rule about pickup parking and I’ve waited 10 mins for an order they apparently didn’t prepare until I inquired, despite a deceptive email sent hrs before. I asked why I got an email if they did not fulfill the order and she said “happens all the time” like it was no big deal. I declined the warming for time sake as my car has been running the entire time. To add insult to injury, I got home and opened a box full of rock hard bagels my kids could not even bite into. Supposedly prepared fresh but had the stiffness of weeks old bread. I called and got a refund and that was the only time anyone offered any incentive for the bad service. I declined the offer as the preparation of food I paid for left much to be desired so I can’t imagine how they treat free food. My feedback is to not send false alerts to customers about their orders. Not only was the order not ready it wasn’t even on the queue well after the pickup time. And stop pretending not to know the bad quality of food you’re serving. Those bagels were sliced so obviously someone knew how HARD they were. And don’t tell customers to wait additional time for orders you’ve lied about being ready- prioritize them and offer something at that moment to alleviate the inconvenience. I will not come to this establishment again. Since you all seem to know your emails falsely alert customers “all the time” how about do something about that? At the very least put just kidding in the subject because the communication is a joke.

Also- during my prolonged wait I noticed the bread rack with bread just sitting out, completely uncovered and one loaf was laying up against a wall. Despite the website instructing us to wear a mask inside I was the only person with one on. No staff. I don’t eat out much for reasons like this- people do not have any pride or decency about preparing food in sanitary fashions. If you prefer their bread good luck and in hindsight I’m sure my bagels had been sitting out in the open for hours before arrival just like the many loaves of bread...

This is the worst Panera I’ve ever visited. I’ve had numerous bad experiences over the last couple of years. I decided to give them another try, since it had been a year.

The back of the house staff was just rude. My coffee drink was made wrong and I was told they made what I ordered. I showed that on the ticket that I order a chocolate frozen cold brew and not the caramel and green making drinks rolled her eyes and seemed very annoyed. I also ordered a spinach and egg soufflé. I didn’t know I was supposed to get it at the front register. When I asked the staff at the window where it was she told me to go get it from the front. I apologized and let her know that I wasn’t aware that I needed to grab from the front as my order was ToGo (the Panera in Murfreesboro it is picked up at the window). The staff then yelled to the front that I didn’t know where I was supposed to go and asked for my soufflé, which hadn’t been heated yet.

I also ordered a pecan braid which was burnt and 3 bagels. I asked they be sliced and they weren’t.

My friend was with me as well and ordered a coffee. They were out of the 20oz cups up front. When asking for a cup they told her to just put hot coffee in a plastic cup. When she said now the girl behind the window rolled her eyes, huffed and slammed a cup down.

I probably won’t be back to this Panera. I’d rather drive out of my way for good...

9/28/2022 5:45pm.I love Panera so much!!!! and what happened today really topped it off for me. Nothing like humanity at its finest. I am a permanently injured single mother and my house recently got flooded so my daughter and I have to live in a hotel for a while. Today I got off work late and left in a hurry to pick up my daughter, until her grandmother called and said that she would help ime pick her up so I decided to get dinner. I stopped at the Panera in Smyrna TN. I placed my order and then approached the window and suddenly my heart hit the floor and I realized in that moment that I forgot my purse with my credit cards in it! I almost cried because this was that very last thing that was going to be too much, just because of every thing else that’s going on right now, so the manger said don’t worry about it and was absolutely so very kind of him to let me have the food to eat for dinner for my daughter! Also girl at the was very sweet and so kind and understanding as well. I truly feel blessed and overwhelmed with joy right now and it’s nice to know that kind people like you work at my frequent visited and favorite places to eat at that! I will be back to pay, Thank you thank you thank you so...