Employees Reveal The Truth About Working At Panera

Panera Bread may be one of the most popular fast casual restaurants in the U.S. today, but when it got its start in 1980, it was just a tiny, 400 square foot cookie shop in Boston, Massachusetts. Over 40 years and several acquisitions later, Panera has grown to more than 2300 locations that employ over 140,000 people.
You might be wondering just what it’s like to be one of those Panera employees. Are the cookies really fresh? Do they get those paninis at a discount? Is it true that mac and cheese comes out of bag? Let’s find out as these employees reveal the truth about working at Panera.
#Panera #Restaurant #Employee
Employees don't really cook there | 0:00
Employees aren't baking bread | 1:25
Keeping employees on their toes | 2:38
A fast prep line | 3:29
Super busy rushes | 4:08
A stressful drive-thru | 5:20
Panera's tech innovations | 6:28
Employees get a discount | 7:34
The leftovers | 8:16
Co-workers are everything | 9:03
A failed social experiment | 10:08
Covid-19's impact | 11:11
Read Full Article: www.mashed.com/254476/workers...

[@MashedFood]

Have you ever worked for Panera? What was it like?

[@andrewnguyen307]

I work there for three years as a dishwasher and it was boring

[@aliwantizu]

The front counter cashier and the drive thru cashier have it very tough as people make all sorts of changes to everything, don't speak loud nor clear enough, and often don't say what they mean leading to confusion. Orders get made incorrectly more than they should, but much of that is due to customers either not being clear or specific enough.

[@ThisMrMister]

I've worked at Panera for over a year as a first job and I can definitely say it isn't the worst starting job. The location I worked at had fellow high schoolers and freshmen college associates going to school so coworkers were always convenient to talk with and relate to. The location was also only 2-3 miles from where I lived so that was also very convenient. Managers were also very nice and can definitely say I learned a lot from them. Despite pertaining frozen soups and frozen packaged meat, it is such a healthier alternative than other chains with cheese burgers and fries. If there was one thing I'd change to make panera a better company all around is to lower the price of items. A whole salad is almost $12-$13 when it used to be a couple bucks cheaper years ago, same with sandwiches and soups. If they can average $7-$8 sandwich/salad meals and soups to be $5-$6 that'd be so much more appealing imo. Bakery items can also get lowered a dollar or two, one of their cookies is almost 3 bucks, at the very least should be $2.

[@schmeeb7807]

i’ve worked at panera and it is borderline hell

[@jonny777bike]

It is hard work and there is so much multitasking that you have to do. I would love the customers who complain the most to actually work at Panera or any other restaurant. I do cashier, bakery, dishes, dining room and other clean up. I get along well with the crew and the managers. It is the customers that I can the hardest problem with. Yes the way Panera Bread prepares the food may not be the same as what the customers imagine but we definitely have procedures to follow to ensure the customers get the best experience. We work very hard but if you come there not doing any research in what we make, get entitled and most importantly have a bad attitude its toward the workers this is not going to help. Also we have a high turnover ratio of employees. Understand that the more customers berate the employees what it does lose an employee then management has to higher a new employee and go through the countless hours to train them. Now you have new employees who are still learning how to do things and you're complaining that they are not doing their job fast enough. If you really want to know more about the food use the Panera website or the app you can use order from it, you can learn about all the nutrition. You can learn about all the items on the menu. This goes for any restaurant establishment another thing customers and workers can do is read the book How to Win Friends and Influence People. Try to considerate of other people.

[@certifiedlover2748]

I work at Panera it’s hella expensive, I’m a cashier and I see people out here spending like 30 dollars on like 3 items. It’s crazy! Luckily for me I get free meal, because there’s no way I’m paying for that food.

[@m.b.2153]

But is it a fun place to work ?

[@certifiedlover2748]

@@m.b.2153 yea it’s fun to work depending on what location you work at

[@vyastrebova3447]

I am a cashier as well, i feel so bad for the people, that sometimes i dont ring up their drink/pastry

[@kayleighdavis2477]

sstervochka i’m a cashier too and i do the same thing 😭 if their order is already expensive i don’t charge them for drinks lol

[@malachibrown3270]

@@vyastrebova3447 same😂a medium drink 3.08 which is insane

[@jacksbaldhead8326]

These videos about exposing Panera for having mass produced, premade food always surprises me when I see how the public reacts to finding out about this kind of thing. It's pretty dang obvious that it's pre made and packaged. You're literally walking into a restaurant that's just above fast food. One can't expect super fresh like they're at a pricey 5 star restaurant. It should be common sense. I mean, everything tastes the same no matter which Panera you go to, folks. How do you think they do that? I swear, the world is full of stupidity.

[@jacksbaldhead8326]

@Michael Harley 😂

[@jonny777bike]

I work at Panera Bread and it is hard work. I do cashier and do it during lunch time. We have salads, soups, mac & cheese, bowls, flatbread pizza, bagels, smoothies, barista and pastries. With all those combinations there are so many different modifications that can be made. I wish that more of our customers would apply for a job and see what its like to deal with customers. I wish more people workers would read the "How to win friends and influence people". I also more customers should read the book as well. During this time I wish more customers would understand that more and more restaurants are short staffed. The way customers interact with Panera Bread employees does have an impact on how long the employees stay. Always put yourself in their shoes of the worker your interacting. Also with the high turnover ratio we have to train new employees very often. With that there is a higher degree that mistakes may happen and that the food preparation will take longer. Another thing customers can do is get the Panera rewards card, download the app, put the panera rewards card on your apple wallet and make it easier when ordering. Instead of calling an order on the phone during lunch time try to use the Panera app instead to order. If you know someone needs a job have them fill out an application. This also goes with many other restaurants as well. It would be better if we all had a bit more compassion for each other.

[@malachibrown3270]

@@jonny777bike I don’t even have to add anything bc you said it all💯

[@tv-21]

​@@jonny777bikeI want to work for panera. How do I get a recommendation?

[@lukes.3227]

Panera is my first job and I absolutely love it, my co-workers are amazing and the managers are too, you can always find them joking around and sometimes even dancing in the back! I'm a cashier in the front, and while it can be stressful because I basically manage everything up front including the dining room the customers there are always very nice and understanding - best first job I could have possibly picked!

[@okokulus]

Was it overwhelming to start

[@lukes.3227]

@@okokulus Sorry - I didn't see this notification... No it wasn't it at all, but I'm not sure about being part of the production team

[@adrianflores6903]

How much were you getting paid an hour when you first started?

[@malachibrown3270]

@@adrianflores6903 I started off 13.50 + tips so I averaged 14.20-14.60 /hour

[@mr.spicycat3496]

@@malachibrown3270 whatttt

[@aking3624]

I used to go once a week. The cost has gone through the roof! They used to have a basil pesto focaccia that was AmAzInG!! However, the last time i went for a U pick two with a drink & cookie it cost over $20.00. As a fast casual dining restaurant, i could easily spend that $ on a more substantial meal like a steak.

[@johnchan6213]

I'm from Australia and I tried Panera Bread in 2019 and the soups... Oh my god... broccoli cheddar soup, tomatoe soup.. Ended up receiving a panera bread recipe book, so let's see how we go!

[@teeznigan337]

I don’t care what anyone says or the fact that it comes in a bag, their Mac and cheese is the besssst and I crave it all the time

[@holeindanssock156]

Their breads and pastrys all come in frozen. Ex employee

[@teeznigan337]

@@holeindanssock156 don’t eat their pastries lol so I’m good just want the Mac and cheese

[@ThisMrMister]

Have worked at panera for a year, can vouch

[@Sur5r]

This is why the ONLY "Fast Food" place I will ever go. I love this restaurant and don't mind the extra wait for my meal.

[@mayaford8674]

Panera is overpriced and extremely overhyped. And the market themselves as being “fresh” and “healthy” but when you look at how much sodium and fat is in their food, you’ll no longer turn to this as a healthy option. The soups and mac and cheese have the highest amounts of sodium out of everything on the menu. If you just have to have Panera, it should be eating with moderation like everything else rather than eaten in abundance with the misconception of it being healthy.

[@Heizeyeah]

If you’re looking for healthy food maybe don’t buy a fuckin Mac n cheese 😂

[@GBPackFan62]

I like their food. I generally eat at three different ones in Prince George's County, Maryland. The only qualm that I have about them lately is a drop-off in the level of service. I generally order curbside and, at one point, I had no issues but recently, it either takes them a much longer time to bring food out to me or I end up having to go inside to get my food. Now, viewing this video, a lot has been explained with regard as to how the company generally operates

[@joandorlean6143]

So just to make things clear the bakers work anywhere between 8-10 hours after closings. If we are only baking already proof doughs the shift wouldn't be that long. Don't minimize what any food service worker does.

[@naejnaej6778]

It's still delishes! Especially the soups

[@Tkdbar]

Only a child is surprised by any of this. ❤

[@deasiaanderson2682]

I should say as a Panera employee currently as of 2021 the only thing that comes in fresh is vegetables for our salads and that’s it everything else is frozen macaroni and cheese soup even meat that goes on your sandwich or salad they put it on a big pan and thaw it out in the open your soup comes out of a -4° freezer in a giant brick that you can order on Amazon and we put it in this very hot boiling 5 x 5 heating tub that we citrus soup in for an hour to thaw out to slit open a giant plastic bag to pour them in the soup section most of the time Panera is very dirty extremely dirty just like your McDonald’s half of the things we don’t even wash we never clean our coffee Machines they barely change their gloves dust everywhere you can find moldy food in corners and crevices Panera‘s barely pay their employees good or can barely keep employees hence why your curbside order has probably been 30 minutes late

[@djariatiyana3974]

When I carve the bread bowls in the mornings bread crumbs get in my eye 💔

[@josephesparza925]

I Think i had this happen to me one time and omg i almost lost my eye that day, it literally felt stuck in my eye I had ran to the to wash it out. I Rather just get the Broc chedder in my eye than those crumbs, they are a menace

[@rickhodgkins6937]

I love Panera Bread, even though I never worked there. But I would love to be a baker there! One of the former marketing managers, that who oversaw several Panera cafes in the area I live in called me up one day almost 2 years ago, after I applied to be a baker at the Panera cafe near my home. I told him, that because I am blind, I cannot drive. He rhetoricly asked me, how would get around?" "Lyft or Uber?" Turns out he told me all new bakers are required to work at various locations before working at one near their home. Fast-forward to today, upon leaving a Panera cafe near where my work, overseen by the same franchisee, I was informed that only part time bakers have to work at various locations and since i want to be a full-time baker, I would be allowed to work at the location near my home. I I thought to myself, THANK CHRIST! Also, as I am listening to this video, I noticed that you use the word, "roshambo." The word means exceptionally friendly, kid exceptionally open-minded and/or exceptionally skilled. I'm afraid you are using the word out of context.

[@maxpowr90]

Panera is now in for the long, slow, decline as a company. Nobody wants to pay $!0+ for a turkey sandwich.

[@jac9245]

Trust me there’s hundreds of people that do

[@alexbr550]

I worked for the Panera Bread they built on the other side of Disneyland. It was hell. They were super annoying about everything. Everything that was said on the video is correct.

[@SuperlativeCG]

Panera is like the Starbucks of sandwiches

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

Super tasty though.

[@marqmarzz7209]

Don't put Starbucks down. Atleast they have good quality products..Panera average at best...

[@elijahbaines7101]

@@marqmarzz7209 starbucks sandwiches are heated in the microwave, they the same my guy

[@paulpuglia8480]

Olive Garden restaurants do the same thing all their food is cooked, packaged and frozen at a factory, I know this because I used to work at a Olive Garden restaurant at the restaurant they put the frozen package food into a pot of boiling water. Basically you're paying for and expensive TV dinner.

[@pwrinnmbrs]

I always used to see huge messes behind the counters at Panera. I would see them at other less reputable fast food chains as well but they never touted themselves as high of quality and freshnsss as Panera.

[@DivineMagickOccult]

Who cares if it’s frozen or not. It tastes good and that’s all that matters to me.

[@sophlov]

ive been working at panera for 6 years, and there used to be close to no employee discount other than drinks, but now we can get a free meal with every shift

[@zachdevine871]

Dam, I only get discount.

[@RJM316]

I love Panera Bread! I find Panera Bread's food to be fresh and flavorful. It also seems healthier.

[@imstupidbut]

it’s not

[@ThisMrMister]

@@imstupidbut compared to other popular fast food chains that mainly pertaining to cheese burgers and fries, it really is.

[@Nghiasuaxedien]

Nhìn đồ ăn hấp dẫn

[@brichilders9117]

i seriously hate working here, planning on quitting soon

[@josephesparza925]

Same, sucks not worth it.

[@malachibrown3270]

@@josephesparza925 plus the customers are inconsiderate

[@josephesparza925]

@@malachibrown3270 pretty much, to a point that they threw a couple of forks at me 😂😂 I quit already though

[@a.i.marvin6180]

My daughter worked at Panera as a teenager. Boiling mac & cheese, soups, ...is not healthy. Mmm , boiled plastic for lunch. You could never rely on what was in the salad or sandwich. It was a great job for a teen. After college she enjoys accounting and the pay a lot more.

[@raventomich899]

The problem is that they go too fast and sometimes miss additions or substitutes or the sandwiches look like crap.

[@Dee-F]

I used to deliver food to them.all soups frozen

[@leisure057blank3]

I have never seen a crowd outside. Panera to look anything like that

[@huevos808]

I’ve worked there for 2 weeks and quit, they treat their employees like slaves

[@gldnhrtdrksol3419]

They do. I was working with them for 11 yrs. I never once took the manager/supervisor position because you are not allowed to say no. At least i have an option of saying no

[@werecatFireFang]

The Panera I worked at last year was the worst I’ve dealt with. 2 employees, including myself, got Covid on the job and they didn’t shut down. i also had pneumonia so I could barely function at work at that time, and I didn’t know I had that until I read my hospital records sometime later. I lost my job there because the GM “lost” my paperwork saying I could return and refused the other documents I had to prove it. I was written up for having to go to the bathroom twice in the first 2 hours of my shift(I’m a documented diabetic). I had property stolen from me by a coworker who got in my face. We both got written up for that. She was the one telling me what to do(not a supervisor in any way). But the manager let her get away with anything because of favoritism. I had a rumor start between me and a female employee claiming we were making out in the walk-in. There’s a camera in there so I know they have no proof of us doing that. And the worst one, my manager said I was the worst employee there in front of customers in the front of the store. So, quite frankly, F*** Panera.

[@gldnhrtdrksol3419]

@@werecatFireFang bro whenever i ride by my old panera i put my middle finger right up against the window, whether its in a car or bus. Idgaf my middle finger will always flip up as soon as i go by that area

[@darce2019]

They furloughed 6 of us Including myself when we tested positive for covid. One of the customers who got Covid from our store died. Also didn’t tell anyone we were furloughed.

[@werecatFireFang]

@@gldnhrtdrksol3419 I thought I was the only one😂

[@huyliemtran9899]

😀 😃 🙂 👍

[@robertmccall9967]

I CANT BELIEVE THESE PEOPLE!

[@Avgfireman]

At 6am, I had some of the best and worst customers imaginable. You could always tell who was a morning person and who wasn’t. Overall though, I had a pretty good time. I wish the menu wouldn’t have changed as much. I prefer the menu when I first started.

[@295g295]

11:11 - The Panera near me was forced to close by the Governor's Executive order.

[@katierowen3166]

I have mixed feelings about Panera. Their delivery is extremely fast and the food is good but they are always out of Everything bagels and they are way overpriced for what you get. A salad (no meat on the salad), bagel and a drink can easily cost $15. That just doesn’t sit right with me.

[@vinsanity40k]

well no wonder i can buy panera food at the store and it tastes the same as the restaurant. 😄

[@serinnwoa]

and its cheaper, those soups at the store contain almost as much as a $19 mf group soup

[@Dilly_Willy.]

I had to wait 50 minutes for 4 Items

[@walther9161]

Avery road in Dublin Ohio is a horrible location. They literally scream at you if you have to use cash. They also make you use the kiosk. Caveli enterprises owns these stores and won’t do anything about their nasty treatment of customers. I’ll never go back and have encouraged others not to frequent their stores.

[@sneed7555]

DONT YOU CALL IT A DAMN BUZZER. THIS DAMN THING EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE HAS BEEN CALLED A "BUZZER" WHEN ITS MEANT FOR US TO GO TO YOU AND LOCATE YOU. IT HAS A BUZZY FUNCTION BUT ITS WAY TO INCONVIENT TO USE. I felt the need to say that, thank you.

[@nadinejohnson2189]

Panera 🍞🥗🥪

[@trixs90able]

Their chicken and wild rice is still good though 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@StevenLoby]

Also all the baked goods is made the day before lol

[@GalCharlotte]

3 minutes lol. Since when?

[@MrProTechHD]

they are overpriced and by the way the cheesecake factory does the same thing including all assortments of their cheesecakes

[@terminallyonline280]

nothing wrong with sous vide

[@someweirdo3014]

My Panera bread is disgusting. They don’t pick up dirty plates nor clean tables.

[@malachibrown3270]

We’re not supposed to pick up plates, we have a place for u to drop your plates on the way out. U must be tipping if u leave yo shit all over the table, we aren’t busboys , clean up after yaself

[@someweirdo3014]

@@malachibrown3270 Which, is never cleaned..

[@annecollins1741]

Panera is way overpriced and their food is nothing to brag about either.

[@walther9161]

The new model is all carry out and delivery and orders to be taken by app only like how they are forcing the kiosk down our throats. Eventually there will be no dining inside and no cash transactions. What if you don’t have a credit or debit card? Maybe you don’t have a place to eat inside during the day? They also are bad for the landfills with all that plastic they use in utensils and cups. Just like Starbucks, they produce massive amounts of waste. So are they woke based on these facts? I’d say not.

[@malachibrown3270]

Yo, if u see the cashier is busy or dealing wit a lot, and decide to take yo ignorant inconsiderate ass and stand in line , you deserve a horrible experience. Go to the kiosk u not the only person we have to tend to. And nobody wants to fiddle with cash anymore, rather get Apple Pay or google pay bozo

[@Richard-dl6sp]

There food is crap I would not even feed it to my Dogs