Panera Bread — Restaurant in Woodstock

Dropped in tonight after picking my daughter up from a 2.5 hour dance practice. She was hungry but didn’t want to eat anything too heavy, soup at Panera seemed to be just what she wanted. It is a Sunday, but I didn’t know what time they closed. We got inside at 7:47 pm. The young lady at the front did not greet us, but kept busy loading the cookies while we quickly decided what we wanted. My daughter placed her order and then I ordered. She asked for here or to go, we said here. She proceeded to tell me “we close at 8 so you will need to eat fast so you can be out by 8”. Well, I was taken aback and asked to confirm - we have to be finished eating and out of the restaurant by 8? She said yes out by 8. I was a waitress for YEARS! Never ever did I tell a customer they had to be out by the time we locked the doors. I asked to see the manager and he came out quickly. I asked him if it was usual practice for the staff to tell customers they had to be out by closing time. He said , “no, she just meant we close at 8” to which I corrected him that she said we had to eat fast and be out by 8. Then a guy from the back sticks his head in the window behind the mgr and said “she is new”. I told him that’s making excuses for her being rude and being new has nothing to do with the procedure. So either they don’t train their people or they just don’t care. Then while my daughter and I were eating another girl came and got the vacuum, starts vacuuming and then parks the vacuum near us and leaves the dining room, leaving the vacuum running. It was so unprofessional, rude and an overall horrible experience. I get that places are desperate for help but come on! Train your people! ...

Unfortunately, it was not a positive experience! I placed an order at 3:15 to be picked up at 5:30... When I got there to pick up my order- I noticed "Sorry" written on my receipt! So, after having to stand in line to find out what was going on with my order... I was told that there was no bread available for the bread bowl soup I had ordered... & I said -"ok but you still charged me the same price for the bread bowl soup that I am not getting." She said -"Well yeah we put an 'extra' to make up for that." It was a bag of chips!! So I had ordered a sour dough bread bowl onion soup & a regular bowl of onion soup- no bread bowl. So, I was given the SMALLER amount of soup that is usually given with the bread bowl... & I received the bowl of soup - the bread bowl that is the usual... I would've had no problem if I'd received the normal bowl of soup - the bread bowl... Or even if I had NOT been charged for the soup in the bread bowl. Instead I was still charged, & a bag of chips was thrown in to "make up for it". Now they had two hours & fifteen minutes to call & tell me there was a problem with my order & how to rectify the problem... Instead I gotta "sorry" written on my receipt!! Disappointing! Especially after I bragged about Panera to my mother-in-law, & that was her first & only experience! I called & asked for the manager...she was very polite & understanding & apologetic :) However, I will not order...

The employees here are terrible and rude or at least the ones working around 11:30am today in the front. A black male took my order at the front and I Gave him my card. He ran it once which went through and then for some reason to him it didn't so he just kept running my card again and again then told me I was declined which was 100% impossible. Embarrassed with many people in line I walked out to call my bank to just make sure nothing was wrong.... Well the proceeded to let me know that the month for my order did endeed get taken out of my account and they are not sure why they would tell me that..... So I pulled up my bank account on my phone to double check and it was taken out so I walked back in the store, waited in line instead of the usual frustrated angry person would do and just walk up and skip the whole line. I then "tried" to speak with this older working lady who was rude from the start when I'm the victim not her, she never offered me a refund, she never offered for my food to be made, and she never apologized or anything and told me to get a refund I would have to go to the bank and get a piece of paper and not the bank pulled up on my phone so I left and went to the bank and they filed a claim and I did get my money back because of wellsfargo but I will never eat at this place again. I was a regular since they opened and after this I will not come back. Worst service ever and some what...