Panera Bread

I am autistic and Panera is my go-to place for takeout and dine-in. Immediately upon walking in, they have order kiosks, so if you're like me and not great with social interaction, you can order on the kiosks instead of at the front counter. They also have headphone jacks if you need the menu narrated to you and braille on a couple as well. The atmosphere is great. They don't have loud music playing, and they don't have harsh lighting- the lights are dim and ambient, but bright enough that I can still see easily despite my vision issues. The staff are phenomenal. I'm a regular and they know me well, but even when I was just starting to go there, they were kind and patient with me and my stuttering tendencies and occasional non-verbal moments. They know I always order a large drink, so I never have to remind them to hand me a cup, they know to hand me one as soon as I walk to the counter, and they always smile and they're very gentle about it. I really, really appreciate their dedication to making customers like me more comfortable. I love their charged lemonade, because the high caffeine content helps with my chronic migraines. Also, most of their food is very consistent in texture and therefore very good for those with sensory difficulties and ARFID. I do also have a trained service dog that comes with me a lot, and the staff definitely know the ADA well, seeing as they've never challenged me about her yet don't allow untrained pets. I've never seen another dog in Panera other than a trained service dog. I really cannot say enough good things about the Almaden Panera and their amazing staff. It can be very hard navigating life independently as someone with autism and chronic health issues, but knowing that I have Panera as an option for easy dining makes everything a little easier.

This store always had great customer service, even when they are busy. My only real issue is the run out of bread from time to time (how do they manage that, I have no idea) and the cost to eat there is simply way to high! 33 bucks for Mac n Cheese, a grilled cheese and a half grilled cheese with two drinks.... That's a whopping 3 Dollars with of food!