All smoke and mirrors, products are not as advertised, management ill-informed and doesn't listen (or work in many cases - Associate Trainer Panera Bread Employee Review

1.0
Sep 28, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Food is tasty, healthy options are available, but do not believe hype found in advertisements. All food is NOT organic as many believe. Discount is poor considering effort required and the fact that the healthcare option is very overpriced. Company does not pay well enough for most employees to take advantage of other benefits (you need every penny to pay for HEAT and FOOD.)

Cons

Management is full of themselves--they don't listen to employees and think all employees are inept so they run around nitpicking the associates while pretending to have "soooo much paperwork to do." At that point they hide in the office, eat and check their phones. Paperwork seems to take priority over customers for them and is also another reason to erroneously yell at associates for their own shortcomings as a management team.

Explore other reviews about Panera Bread

5.0
Jun 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

very flexible and accomodating to my school schedule

Cons

was very unorgaized at times which made things difficult

3.0
Apr 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

GM at this location is very on top of things, because it's the busiest Panera in Queens. Consistent hours. Shifts go by very quickly, especially in the morning.

Cons

Location is extremely busy so it gets very stressful, especially in the morning when someone is out / there is no second cashier scheduled so the single cashier in the morning has to clean the coffee counter, refill coffees, make drinks, stick bagels in the oven & serve those bagels, check and bag up RPU/delivery orders, get bakery items for barista screen, and ring up customers. It can get really intense when many people come in, which is most of the time. You will be running back and forth like crazy. Customers can be impatient, rude, demeaning, and nasty when the line gets too long. Not recommended for people who are sensitive, with high anxiety. As for Panera the company, this chain keeps making bizarre and difficult changes to the menu, all of which make employees' lives harder and harder. With every change comes strange, dismaying, and borderline impossible expectations for frontline staff that cascade down through management who cannot do much to alter the hard policies. You can tell the company is struggling greatly to keep itself relevant with the younger crowd (a solid 80% of customers are old people). The CEO and everyone making company decisions at Panera is extremely out-of-touch. EXTREMELY. With every nonsensical menu & operations adjustment, you can tell these people haven't actually worked at a food service job in like 40 years.

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