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“I have been coming to this Panera Bread for decades. I am part of an elderly (for some) and well known and established around Park Ave in Winter Park. I have also come to know that telling management certain things don’t get resolved and are ignored thus this is the main reason for this posting. Let me be clear and explain the situation and thoughts behind this post.
Today, Monday July 20, 2026, I arrived at this Panera Bread location and ordered 2 Sip Club drinks and food. My drinks were large fountain drinks. When I poured my drinks, none of the lids for the large drinks fitted my cups. These lids that came from Ohio, were not fitting my cups. The solution that was given was to use the cold drink lids from the coffee lattes and new drinks. OK … small problem addressed but the … “BIGGER PROBLEM” .. was ignored. I pointed it out to management in a very clear way.
So what was the “BIGGER PROBLEM?” Well, the inappropriate lids were never removed and replaced by working lids (for temporary use) and senior citizens as well as regular customers were walking out with large drinks without lids spilling their drinks trying to make it to their cars during lunch rush which leads to an “EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM.”
What is the “EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM?” Capable management! So what makes a person a capable manager? One important factor is to be able to know and run the shift smoothly. In order to do that, the person needs to know Panera Bread’s operational procedures for making and expediting the orders appropriately and what is even more important is the ability to make critical decisions on the spot. Critical thinking and “COMMON SENSE” are more important when selecting a qualifying person especially for management.
What should have been done? Well, there are three posible solutions … all which work well.
1. Remove lids that don’t fit the cups from the dispenser and replace with temporary lids.
2. Call a nearby store and borrow the right size lids from their stock.
3. Stop serving or inform customers of the situation.
Non of these were done. These are just “COMMON SENSE” solutions. Why do I bring this point out? Because “GREAT MANAGERS, DISTRICT MANAGERS and anyone in MANAGEMENT” starts out with the ability to make decisions on the fly based on common sense first, followed by corporate procedures and standards. Is it correctable? Absolutely!
Furthermore, after the lunch rush, no one cleaned the dining room, take out the trash, nor cleaned the messy bathrooms. And it’s 4:45pm, no customers, and still not done. So sad!
UPDATE:
My wife and I left Panera's Winter Park location at 7:30pm. As we left, I noticed that everything mentioned here was corrected. I hate to say this … BUT .. sometimes one has to go to extremes to get the point across and have corrective actions take place. Either way, it should have not taken this long. For quickness to respond and resolve the issue, I give you back your 5-Stars that is what you should always aim for. GREAT JOB!“
“My recent experience at Panera Bread Aloma was in the drive-through and it was quite unique. While I found the pricing somewhat unexpected, the exceptional service provided by Sophie, who thoughtfully explained the menu to me, ensured a positive encounter. I will be coming back.“