I’ve had my first and second experiences ever with Panera Bread in the last two weeks (yes, I appear to be woefully behind the times). Last night, I ordered ahead online because I’ve heard people rave about how easy their system is.
Well, I have to agree that it’s awfully easy. But I’m also curious because I don’t think I’ve ever been to a food establishment before that puts your food out where any member of the public can just grab it. Every other place just holds it behind the counter, which makes sense to me since they at least have to verify that someone with your name actually placed an order. I asked the woman at the counter if they’d ever had any problems with people just stealing food, and she said they had not.
So, two questions:
Has anyone ever gotten to Panera to find that someone had already taken their food?
Are there any other restaurants out there that operate on this same “honor system” principle?
The food was good, by the way, though I didn’t feel as full as the number of calories on the nutrition list suggested I ought to feel.
A little bit different but the breakfast place I used to go to didn’t have checks. The waitress would remember what you ordered without writing it down and, when you were done, you simply walked up to the register and told them what you had. They rang it up and you tipped accordingly. I’ve never seen anywhere else do that.
When you order via the Starbucks mobile app, they often just leave the drinks at the bar (ostensibly you’re supposed to identify yourself but I’ve just seen them sitting there more often than not…)
I’ve used the Panera app many, many times without issue. I’ve often thought the same thing about just leaving food out in the open, but -shrug- it must not be that big of a problem!
It’s things like this that affirm my belief that despite all the doom and gloom and shitslinging and nastiness the media (all of it) tries to drown us in, most people are inherently good.
I dont like it, due to the fact than twice now, they gave me a pager that didnt work. So when i finally lost patience and went for my food, it was cold and soggy. And the manager was rude about it, saying it was MY problem, not his.
My local Panera has switched to those “homing device” (I don’t know what to call them) pagers. They give you a pager-like thing, you take it to your table, and there’s something embedded in the table that tells a runner where you and your pager thingy are. The runner then delivers your food directly to your table.
Now that you started this thread, it occurs to me that maybe food was getting pinched off the counter. This Panera is only a few dozen feet from a local homeless hangout and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was becoming a problem.
I had the EXACT same thoughts when using the Panera to-go option. In fact I made a mental note that if I ever find myself to be broke and starved I should wander in to Panera and see whose lunch I could pilfer.
I’ve only used the pickup twice and not had any problems, myself. I wonder if there are problems when you get in to higher crime areas? (I live in the sub-suburbs) Are there Panera in higher crime areas?
How does the system work? Do you pay for it with a credit card at the time you place the online order? Or do you just order it online and then pay when you pick it up?
You pay by credit card online. When you show up, there’s a big shelf near the door with letters arranged like bookends to separate orders by last name. So when I got to the restaurant, I looked under my letter, and lo and behold, there was a bag there with a receipt attached to it. The receipt had my first initial and last name on it in big, bold lettering.
Had I not been interested in talking to the cashier, I could quite literally have been in and out of the restaurant with my food in about three seconds.
madsircool: Do not do this in this or any unrelated thread.
This is the second time you’ve done this to a poster (pulling unrelated comments just to poke at someone) that I’ve had to mod you for. Keep doing it and these notes are warnings instead.
That’s a different situation. This is ordering via the mobile app and just coming in, grabbing, and going. Not waiting for your food to go after you’ve ordered in store.
Our Panera by work is downtown, and believe me I know every lowlife here. Am surprised it hasn’t been a problem. (I use it every so often and also wonder why they just put your food out for people to steal.)
I’ve seen so many places do it that it’s not even noteworthy, I can think of half a dozen near me off the top of my head. I think it’s not much of a problem because they’re all restaurants in decent areas where people aren’t willing to risk criminal charges to get a single meal.
I assume that the restaurant would prepare you a replacement meal, although that does defeat the quick convenience aspect.
I go to Panera a lot, and my experience is that they often mess up the order, so you may find yourself needing to bring your food back up to them anyway. It also amuses me to think of a thief opening the bag and cursing: “This isn’t what that other guy ordered! That’s so unfair!”
In high school we had an open campus. I’d walk down to Arby’s with my friends and several times my lunch got stolen from the counter, I assume by other students. I always held on to my receipt and never had a problem getting a replacement.
