Panera Bread

*Update* I love the new Charged Lemonades and Teas! If you love boba teas, you'll really enjoy these. Don't be discouraged by the reviews. I still like taking friends and family here for casual dining. There's a patio and dining room with a fireplace. If you have the beverage subscription, you can order on the kiosk and get your own coffee or teas to go.

The food here is fine; the kids like it, and I don't mind it, so it's a much better choice than some others. The in-store experience is nice - I like to nurse a cup of coffee and watch the traffic go by on the freeway right next to it. But the online/pick up experience is dreadful. Actually, not even the online experience, which is quite good; JUST the pickups! For a company that advertises catering, they couldn't get the orders right, EVER. It's super frustrating to get home and realize substantial parts of the order are missing, sides aren't included, food is wrong, and then have to try to cobble something together. I will say every time I called to complain, they made it right. But we now have a strict no-Panera takeout policy. If you get takeout, MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING and then you'll be fine. Or just eat there and enjoy yourself.

They lack quality control. I haven’t experienced this with any other Panera. I used to go a lot when I lived out East. Yet I’ve only been 3 times this year and they’ve messed up twice. Once my sandwich had part frozen/part rotten lettuce. Today they used a wholly different bread than what it was supposed to be. I feel petty for complaining today but it was a total let down taste wise. Think it’ll be a long while before I go back.

Hudson, Wisconsin Panera Bread: I sat in the drive thru for 15 minutes and I was the only car there (10:20am when I arrived-- 11:37 when I left). I ordered my salad with no chicken as i dont like chicken. It had chicken on it when I went to eat it at work. The lettuce was big hunks of the innermost part of the romaine that was yellow and bitter. I ordered broccoli cheddar soup but didn't get it. I ordered the fuji apple cranberry charged lemonade but got strawberry lemonade instead. There was only one thing correct in my order-- the chocolate croissant. At the 14 minute mark, I had been sitting and waiting patiently, but now looking around (no other cars) and into the window (no one looks like theyre doing anything and clearly seeing they weren't busy, I honked the horn, was waiving my hands but the gal right inside nearby the window acted like she didn't see or hear me, then I knocked on the drive thru window, again she ignored me and was then laughing with another coworker, presumably about how she was ignoring me. Finally a third coworker came over who then opened the window. I said I don't understand why its taking so long. She walked over to the counter a few steps away and got the bag that was just sitting there and handed it to me. Had it been sitting thete forgotten about ALL THIS TIME? I was now late to work so I hurried on not looking to see if I had all of my order, which later I found that I did not have everything and what I did have was all wrong. Ironically, and what makes me even more upset is that the entire receipt had check marks on it next to each item I ordered AND SOMEONES INITIALS as if they'd checked and confirmed all items were there and the order was correct!!! I called the manager to tell them all of the above and she says she would send me a voucher for the missing soup....!!!!!!! What about my ENTIRE lunch that was wrong?! AND YOU MADE ME LATE TO WORK AFTER HAVING TO SIT THERE BEING IGNORED FOR 15 MINUTES!!!!!!!! The NERVE of you people!!!!

Really hate waiting about 20+ minutes longer than it says my food will be ready for pickup whenever I order curbside...not pleased with curbside service at all. Update: 5 months later. I have waited in the curbside spot for 45+ minutes due to my order just being forgotten about, I have received cold food, I have gotten the wrong order. And today I placed an order at 11:45am for an asap Curbside pickup. When i arrived and clicked im here (i arrived at about 12:06pm) my app told me they would have it to me at 1:05pm. Confused as to why the ASAP wait period was an hour and 45 minutes, I called and spoke to someone and they said that there was nothing they could do about it and that they were backed up and id have to sit in my car an wait. So ive been sitting here waiting (parking lot isnt as full as it usually is, drive thru is pretty empty, and 4 other curbside orders have came and went) and i still havent heard anything. I havent even gotten an update. Coming from a customer perspective and as someone who also works in the food industry, this all just seems like negligence and workers not caring about doing their job. Theres one worker who is always pleasant, whod id assume is the manager, and everyone else is not. The food is also tasty. But bad customer servive = bad review. If I wanted to wait an hour and 45 minutes for my food I wouldve eaten in at a restaurant like Sapporo. I would NOT have ordered ASAP curbside pick up from Panera. If i could give this place 0 stars, i would in a heartbeat.