Panera Bread — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

DO NOT GO!!!!! My family just tried to dine-in there and had the absolute worst experience ever. We used to own a restaurant and would never have treated anyone the way we were treated. We used the kiosk and placed our order for dine in at 7:38. We got our drinks and sat down. At 7:50 two employees came to us and said “is it ok if we make your order to go? We close at 8.” We said no we specifically came to sit down and eat as a family. We thought you closed at 9. They walked away and went to other paying customers and did the same thing. I then watched an employee vacuum around the dining room and under a customers feet? We received a text that our food was ready at 7:55 but when I went to pick it up it wasn’t ready. They were still making the last sandwich. When it was finally ready it was bagged to go. I went to the table and we unbagged it and sat down to eat. After two bites we had 4 female employees walk over and tell us we had to pack up and leave. They closed at 8 and we can’t be in the store. They insisted that we needed to right away as it was 8 o'clock. At that point my husband started filming. We asked why the kiosk allowed the order for dine in if we weren't allowed to dine in and suggested that it should block dine in at 7:30. While talking to them and trying to understand, the other employess came out, now about 10 all apparently trying to be intimidating and one employee standing by me called the police? She was stating we were hostile and they needed police assistance? While another employee started counting to 10 she said to keep her temper? After a short banter the female manager believing she was being recorded, stated we could stay (after I asked for a refund). but in future we wouldn’t be allowed to. Doors lock at 8 and everyone had to be out of store.” Needless to say we all lost our appetite and just packed up and left. When we got outside an employee ran to the door, locked it and flipped us off which was the same girl who claimed to be calling the police. All the other employees were laughing and clapping while dancing around. Absolutely the worst service/experience ever. We understand closing time and people wanting to go home, but we also understand that it takes to close a restaurant after the posted closing time and how to treat paying customers. We could have eaten our meal and been out in about 15 minutes but that was not good enough for their management. I would not recommend this location at all. They are happy to take your $ then...

I admit, I have an obsession. An obsession with the bacon avocado melt. I’d say about 4 times a week minimum I come to this Panera to order a bacon avocado melt. Not healthy for my bank account but what can I say. Over the last 4-5 months the quality of my beloved bacon avocado melts have…. Declined. I got one not long ago with no avocado… that’s kind of the main attraction, am I wrong? But whatever because I ate it like a bacon grilled cheese I guess. Got one with pretty much nothing but avocado…. Not a fan but still ate it because my obsession consumes me. I’m a broke college aged young adult. When I have $50 to my name, I get bacon avocado melt. When I have $10 to my name I use my last dollars for a bacon avocado melt. When I have $5 to my name, I dig through the cup holders in my car to get a bacon avocado melt. If I was being given the death sentence my last meal would be a bacon avocado melt. Today… on this fateful day, I am the poorest I have been in years, but I still give in and go get a bacon avocado melt. My usual order, one whole bacon avocado melt. I get to work… I open my bag… I unwrap the bacon avocado melt…. Tell me why there is only half… half… of a bacon avocado melt? I’m sorry NOT EVEN THE WHOLE SANDWHICH??? I’m just trying to make sense of how, like actually how on gods green earth someone made the sandwhich, cut it in half…. And forgot to put the other half in my bag???? The betrayal. I have lost the battle I didn’t know I was fighting. I felt a rage consume my chest. One eye started to twitch. I am left actually speechless. How? Why? What the actual heck? If Panera wasn’t closed right now, I would walk in there and cast a generational curse on whoever forgot the give me the other half of my bacon avocado melt. I’m heartbroken. Panera on reynolda road, you have ripped my heart out and squashed it...

I can hardly believe what I'm about to write. It's the most bizarre retail experience I think I've ever had...

I pulled up to the drive through at this Panera and no one answered. I waited probably 3-5 minutes then pulled around to the window. No big deal. It happens some times. The woman opened the window. I said "sorry but I don't think your drive through is working". She said it was her fault "she just didn't hear me". "No problem" I said "lets just do the order here". "I can't take an order at the window" she said, "you will have to drive around to the speaker again". I asked why we can't just do the order at the window and she stared at me with this blank look then closed the window in my face. I waited a couple minutes to see if anyone would come back to the window. No one did so I begrudgingly drove around to the speaker. Before placing my order I took the liberty of telling her that her behavior was petty and unacceptable. She started cursing at me through the speaker. I just left at that point and she opened the window, leaned out, and started loudly shouting obscenities out of the window at my wife and I. I don't even think I can tell you what she called me wife without my review getting flagged and taken down. Suffice it to say its about the rudest thing you can call a woman. And I know what you are thinking, but no, my wife is very non confrontational and didn't even say one word to her through the whole experience.

Bizarre. Just bizarre. This store really needs to take a hard look at its...