Panera Bread

I don't know why I don't go to Panera Bread more often. I hope all PB's are like this location. I opted to not go with fast food, although the service here is very fast and got a Mediterranean veggie sandwich. I was expecting, as many vegeterian options are, that the sandwich was not going to be flavorful or just bland. Boy was I wrong! It was so delicious. The handmade bread was just soft enough where the sandwich didn't fall apart and thick enough to where the sauce/dressing didn't make the break all soggy. The sandwich had just the right bit of spice with the zesty peppers and jalapeño hummus  but still held true to Mediteranean food with a cool down of feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. The portion was sufficient to fill me up. Since I got the combo I got a bakery item for 99 cents. Omg the cinnamon roll was soooo good.

Being a novice to PB, I found the cashier to be quite helpful helping in find vegetarian options and explaining what came with each option.  

I have had the bagels before, so I grabbed a few to munch on in the morning with hazelnut cream cheese.

I'm glad PB was right across the street from my hotel. I went back a 2nd night and got the mozz/tomato panini. ERMAGERD!!!!

And this location has a drive thru.

Not coming back for the coffee, if I am in a hurry and if I walk in.

Waited several minutes in line(?) with only 1 person in front of me ordering 50 million bagels.  There were 6 other workers running around with their heads cut off.

Eventually I ordered a large coffee and a cinnamon roll.  I was given a paper coffee cup and my roll.

Then I go over to the coffee urns and theres ANOTHER line up of other folks refilling THEIR coffee cups.  I wait again.

The coffee urn from which I was filling my cup RAN OUT OF COFFEE half way through.  I just added more from another flavor coffee urn - I didn't have a lot of time.

This just sucks.. The coffee tastes crappy because I mixed it.  And to think I waited for this.

I'm not going back for awhile - especially for coffee.

Panera Bread Restaurant Review

Even before walking into the glass doors of Panera Bread, I smelt the aroma of freshly baked breads and sweets. The scent twisted and turned in the atmosphere which soon persuaded me that this was the restaurant I wanted to pursue.

It was around 2:30 pm on a Saturday in which I approached the restaurant. I wanted something fast, yet filling and Panera Bread definitely did the trick. The outside appearance was very modern and casual as well as the inside. There were plenty of earthy and warm tones involved in the color scheme. It felt very inviting, comforting, and casual.

When you first enter this restaurant, you might expect to be seated down by a hostess. There are no hostess or waiters/waitresses. Instead, there are registers a little ways after the doors. At this register, you are expected to promptly order your food, since there may be other costumers behind you. In my case, I ordered a soda and their famous "You Pick Two" option. Within this option, you can choose any two combinations of a half of a salad, a cup soup, half of a panini, or half of a sandwich for a low reasonable price. I happened to pick their popular Broccoli Cheddar soup and their signature Frontega Chicken panini.

After ordering, the employee brightly handed me a black buzzer to indicate when my food would be ready, and wished me a great rest of my day. Thanking her, I went on to find a seat. There are many options to choose from when sitting. Some are tables and others are booths, for whichever your preference may be.

My buzzer rang before I even got a chance to pick a table, so I had to go to the counter where the food was being placed. I was surprised at how fast this took- and looking at the food, it seemed well put together. When I found a table and filled my cup, I sat down to enjoy my meal. The soup was hot and creamy as it slid through my throat. For how chilly it was outside, this soup was definitely a good choice. The fluffy, crisp french bread given as a side with my meal absorbed the perfect amount of Broccoli Cheddar soup. The serving of soup given was even a good size considering I still had a panini for part of my meal. It was served in a white glass cup with a handle.

Aside from the soup, the Chicken Frontega Panini was also delicious. It is made with "smoked and pulled white meat chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, red onions, chopped basil & chipotle mayonnaise, grilled hot on Focaccia bread" (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.panerabread.com%2Fmenu&s=63a170cea30d29fff87b359cc49b136e53a32d0304c6d5573e48336dff7f3ed3" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.panerabread.c…</a>).  Once I took a bite, the mozzarella oozed from the rest of the sandwich making me need to take my knife to cut back the strings. The chicken was tender and complimented the rest of the toppings perfectly. There was not too much of just one thing, and was not sloppy when it was being eaten.

One thing I definitely liked about this meal was that it was very appetizing. I have been here quite a few times before this one sitting, and for every item I have ate, it was always the same outcome: satisfied.

One of the few things that makes Panera Bread different from other restaurants, is that all the nutritional information about each item and each serving is listed on the menu. For me, this makes it easier to see which food is right for your diet and your health. All are reasonably healthy. Although some with no doubt might be a little too much, everyone can benefit from knowing. <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.panerabread.com%2Fpdf%2Fnutr-guide.pdf&s=36ae9faba6b87bddfcbed027dc074c2aca4137054d5005b1e77f52ded22e90c1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.panerabread.c…</a> is an online version of the nutritional value, which is also a great source of information if you are planning to go out for a meal, but you do not want to drive all the way there and knowing what you want has too many calories for you.

One of my favorite parts about this restaurant is their bakery. Majority of the bakery items are .99 cents and they are all absolutely delicious. Cookies, brownies, pastries, cakes, muffins/muffies, scones, sweet rolls, baked egg souffles, bagels, and last and not least- bread.
Bread is actually the whole reason we have a Panera Bread today. Employee's at Panera always make bread and their sweets right in the morning so it is always fresh and phenomenal through out the day.

Back in 1981, Louis Kane and Ron Shaich founded a company called Au Bon Pain Co., Inc within the east coast area of the United States. "In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. purchased Saint Louis Bread Company®, a chain of 20 bakery-cafes located in the St. Louis area. The company then managed a comprehensive re-staging of Saint Louis Bread Co. Between 1993 and 1997 average unit volumes increased by 75%. Ultimately the concept's name was changed to Panera Bread" (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.panerabread.com%2Fabout%2Fcompany%2Fhistory.php&s=dc1caf975b2b95f0f243e4abb983da94ee5f6825369605bd575ba9ebc63c2084" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.panerabread.c…</a>).

After time, Panera Bread had reached full potential due to a lot of remodeling and new techniques. Awards have been given left and right for all of its qualities and unique characteristics. Panera Bread was featured on FORTUNE Magazine's 2010 list for one of the fastest growing companies out of a list of 100 other restaurants.