Panera Bread — Restaurant in Virginia

An bizarre lunch at Panera! We ordered from the somewhat confusing overhead menu. Our questions were answered briefly with a somewhat curt reply by the counter associate. Food was ready in a timely manner and picked up at a window. My order was incorrect and was rectified with a return trip to the pick-up window. I had no utensils or napkins, so another trip to the window was needed. I was informed that the napkins were low in supply, so I was only given one per person. Our table was the nearest table to the beverage area. We heard a noise, and the lemonade-tea machine was emptying, pumping sticky beverage all over the counter, dripping down the cabinet and heading straight for our table. We alerted a staff 6 set out chairs around the ever widening area, but no one was able to get their beverages. Finally, a staff member appeared with a wet-dry vacuum while the machine continued to empty. An older diner became upset and berated the staff for using the loud vac and disrupting his lunch, obviously not sensing the reason for the vacuum. Back to lunch, I discovered a hair dryly stuck to the inside of my soup bowl! Another trip to the window, where I was given another bowl of soup, which was very delicious and hot. I inquired about a to-go box while back at the window but was told the restaurant was out. The staff wrapped my untouched sandwich and bagged it for me at the window. Overall, the food was good, the staff were fair in executing their duties, and I grew very embarrassed with my continued need to go to the window on countless occasions.

I ordered the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad, making no reference to chicken. The order taker repeated, making no reference to chicken. After receiving the large salad, I noticed half frozen chicken slices that were watery, bland, and mushy. I checked my receipt and saw that I was charged an additional $3 for the mushy chicken, which I did not order. I inquired and was told they did not sell the salad without chicken. When I pointed out the dish on the online menu, I was told one could not purchase without chicken. (Menu picture attached). It's so weird. Did not see any employee staff in the dining area thru the whole meal. I hate this place, something...

Even though past visits at this location have not been the best, my husband and I decided to go to Panera yesterday on our Anniversary for a light start to our day. Interested in how the self kiosk worked, we decided to try it out. After ordering we were going to get a mug coffee and realized the only cup available was dirty. My husband ask the employee (Cindy) behind the counter for two clean cups. Appearing to be annoyed by the request she went to the back after stopping to express her feelings to one of her coworkers. Even though she seemed frustrated upon her return with the cups I tried to express appreciation with a "thank you so much" as to which she was not impressed. Also right after that I was informed by a very nice lady from the kitchen area that they did not have the bread that was suppose to go with my sandwich. That not being a terrible issue we chose a different bread. Moving on to get our coffee, the coffee dispenser was out of Dark Roast, so my husband again asked the same employee (Cindy) if they could refill the Dark Roast as it was empty and WHAT DID SHE DO...SHE ROLLED HER EYES AT US! A HARD ROLL at that. After that I asked for a manager to request our order be cancelled and our money returned. Eventually a manager came who did not seem to be bothered by the whole thing at all, as if this was a normal request. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WILL NOT BE BACK! On a side note, there was a very nice girl that I did not get her name who offered to give us coffees to go free of charge, although we declined I appreciated her noticing the issue at hand. The person behind me even said "she most definitely rolled her...

Chili's next door offers 21 different options cheaper than Panera's FROZEN SOUP you pick 2's. Chili's doesn't offer the fruit flies that panera has or terrible service or dirty environment or unhappy associates. That's why they go through managers like paper towels. Frozen turkey, frozen steak, frozen soup, frozen in time as a restaurant that once was successful.

As a former manager, all I'll say, is ask one of the managers to show you the kitchen. I guarantee one look at the area in which your food is being made will have you leaving with the quickness. Plus they bag the hot soup up at night and leave it in ice water over night, it never reaches a safe food temperature and they reheat it and serve it. Jason is the district manager, when I asked him what to do he said, "what can you do". Go introduce yourself to Jason or John next time your here and you will have met 2 people who think it's OK to serve you soup that has been at 80 degrees for 8 hours and STILL charge you money for it. They will take your money but they will not serve you safe food, thanks Jason and John for being Roanoke's leading food poisoning restaurant, giving the Roanoke Valley diaherra for over a decade now. Plus this store has failed its own "Ecosure" food safety enough times to have its GM fired twice over it. Yes, its own food safety rules, they can't even follow. Who fails a test 6 times in a row to a company they pay for. They have to pay Ecosure to come fail this location. The problems of Blue Ridge Bread and this Panera are too deep to fix but at least they pay their associates 7.50 an hour so you know your getting...