Good place to work while going to school - Associate Panera Bread Employee Review

5.0
Oct 22, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

As a student this place is very good. They give flexible hours, good, consistent schedules, and frequent raises(however, you MUST ask for them, otherwise they will not give them to you.) It gets very busy, so your shift will go by fast.

Cons

Since it is a entry level job you might be working with lazy employees, crazy managers, and it will take a while until you actually get paid decent. I have worked there for over 4 years and the food quality has only went down.

Explore other reviews about Panera Bread

5.0
Jul 6, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

fun environment, free food and drinks

Cons

its a fast food job

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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