Panera Bread — Restaurant in Upper Moreland Township

I love Panera Bread soups. My favorite is the Cheddar Broccoli but I can longer eat that because it contains gluten. The only soup they had available that day was Southwestern Corn Chowder. I was hesitant in trying it but I ended up loving it. We ordered more on Uber Eats a few times but then I noticed they no longer had it at our closest location but another Panera a bit further did have it so I figured ok it’s still in stock/season.. so on Tuesday 8/31 We returned because my husband and I were in the mood for some soup. We called as we were driving to the Panera to ask if they had any SW Corn Chowder the person that answer stated that they did have it, I asked a 2nd time just to make sure because even though we were close to the Panera we could easily just go somewhere else; again I reassured that they had it in stock. We arrive about 2mins after hanging up. We arrive and I ordered the SW Corn Chowder and the young lady at the counter said they didn’t have any. I was confused so I explained to her I just called and I was told that they did have it in stock. She went to the back to make sure. She comes back and tells us they just sold out. I said you guys sold out of that soup that quick, she said YES!!! So we left because my husband wasn’t going to eat while I sit there and watched and plus I became annoyed. For some reason it was bothering me that they lied thinking if they got us there we’d stay and just order something else. I called the restaurant again while we were still on the parking lot and asked to speak to the manager. I was connected to a Manager named Chris. I explained what happened and he just sounded like he didn’t cared. He then states that it’s a seasonal item and it’s no longer going to be available. I asked him why did the cashier lie to me and state that they just sold out instead of just telling me it’s out of season so I didn’t keep coming in, calling or trying to find it on UberEats and/or Grubhub. . He said why didn’t we just order something else,I explained to him I have certain dietary restrictions and the SW Corn Chowder is one of the few soups I can eat. He said, “well what do you want me to do?” I said well an apology would be nice. He say, “yeah sorry, but maybe next time call first” seriously he wasn’t listening to anything I said and he couldn’t understand why I was upset. I asked him when will it be available again he tells he doesn’t know, when it’s in stock. What the hell kind of answer was that. I hung up!! I was upset because he wasn’t empathetic at all. I was disappointed at his responses. We will not return to that place and neither will anyone on my family. GOOD...

So the last time I checked, this place is called Panera BREAD. Somehow when I went in there the last time (last night) they didn't even have baguettes. Nor did they have the bread that one of their sandwiches is supposed to be served on.

They were also missing onions.

My favorite part though was when I got my iced tea and it tasted like coffee. I don't know if they served coffee in the container prior to it, and didn't properly clean the container or nozzle, or if they just made coffee in an iced tea container. It was the right color, but the wrong flavor for sure.

Both myself and another customer said something about the taste, and nothing was done. Lord only knows how many other customers also had to suffer through this horrendous beverage amalgamation.

Thankfully I was able to reach out to Panera customer service on Twitter and they gave me this wonderful lip service reply...

"We'll make sure this as well as your inventory concern is addressed by the Willow Grove team. Thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention."

They have lost my business here, and at every location after this....

This was my first tasting and dining experience at a Panera Bread. I placed my order at the counter (vs. self order/checkout kiosk). The counter server was polite, knowledgeable and patient as I tried to choose between two choices. I ended up with the Pick 2 option and ordered the Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken and the half Smokehouse BBQ Chicken Sandwich with the complimentary baguette. I loved the salad and will definitely order that again. Ingredients were fresh and the dressing was light and sweet. The sandwich had good BBQ flavor and decent amount of chicken. I tasted my friend's Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich and I think perhaps I enjoyed that more because it paired better with my salad. I also tasted the Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice Soup and that was delicious. Not heavy, good flavor, and finished it off with my baguette. I will definitely be back for the salad and soup alone. I appreciated the fact that everyone practiced their distancing when finding seating. I would've like to have seen the tables wiped...