Your employees are not your slaves. - Associate Panera Bread Employee Review

1.0
8 May 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great co-workers Great discount (my store gave 70% off) Free soft drinks Free coffee (very helpful on those opening shifts!) At the end of every night, we gave our remaining bakery items (Bagels, breads, and a ton of pastries) to food banks and various charities in our community, which I loved.

Cons

Managers treat you like you are their property. Absolutely no respect for the employees. They believe that your life revolves around Panera and Panera alone. No respect for wanting to get a 2nd job, even if it is to help your family out. Want a day off? "Good luck" (in the words of my former GM). Be expected to stay late even if you can't. If you're injured, you'll just have to work through it. Managers texting and calling on their cell phones constantly, then actually trying to take your phone from you as if you were in high school. MAJOR favoritism. At least 3 new people hired a week. Not caring about family issues and if you need a day off for it. No respect for ones personal life. Lots of talking down from Managment.

Explore other reviews about Panera Bread

5.0
14 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

GREAT PAY AMD ROOM FOR ADVANCEMENT

Cons

Long hours and hard to get vacation time off.

3.0
18 Apr 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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