Panera Bread

I always love Panera! They are consistent and reliable. I have several food sensitivities (gluten and dairy) and they are able to accommodate my needs. I love the atmosphere and find it is a great place to get away and study. Update: post COVID, I can tell that the quality of the food is not quite as good. The turkey chili was less hearty than it used to be, but it's still very delicious. The atmosphere and customer service are still great! Also, they have added caffeine charged lemonades to the drink menu, and they are all delightful!! I might have a new guilty habit.. lol

We live in a world where businesses are in a constant state of training new employees because of employee turnover. I've been a frequent customer at this Panera location for over a year and have seen many new faces often. The one thing I consistently see is a man who seems to be the manager training his new employees with heart. He cares about their success no matter what. Employees do come and go for many reasons, but his demeanor never waivers when the constant turn happens. We need more and more leaders like this running our open businesses. People need to see they are valued, respected, and that no matter the struggle someone is there to teach you the ropes in a positive way. I appreciate this manager going the extra mile for his employees and helping his entire team see what it takes to run a successful business. I notice.

I had to cater brunch for my bridal party on the morning of our wedding at the last minute and Teresa at this cafe came through. They originally didn't have the staff to accommodate the delivery to our venue, but she was able to make some calls and bring in an employee from another store to make it happen. She was a lifesaver, went above and beyond, and helped make our wedding memorable and stress free. If you need to have an event catered, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this cafe.

Visited the store at the Legends and it's helped by Andre. His knowledge of the menu was very helpful as I have a picky eater. He had suggested a soup and sandwich combination that was exactly what I was looking for. The steak and white cheddar with the Asian Thai soup was awesome. Thanks Andre for the excellent service and suggestions.

This is the smallest Panera I've ever been in -- and that works to its credit. Everything is always tasty, fresh, hot (if applicable), and comes out quickly. Salads are a good size for a meal, and the broccoli cheddar soup could launch a thousand ships! Great selection of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, plenty of tables, and a good counter space to sit at, too. There's not a lot of parking right next to it, but you really want to poke around in the West 39th Street neighborhood anyway. So much going on.