Flexible schedule, a lot of demands on time. - Anonymous employee Panera Bread Employee Review

4.0
8 May 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very flexible with school/family schedules. Most cafes will allow time off for many issues, and will work around your schedule. Employees are pretty friendly, food is good (and free for managers). They protect employees legally, and have a good benefits package. Hours are decent (some early, some late) but not bad. Emphasis on training, although the entirety of the training program needs a bit of a overhaul.

Cons

Management is stingy with bonuses and raises. Have cut back on labor hours, thereby making managers do more work with less hours. Employees are forced to meet very high goals without much tools for this. Many tools/procedures are put in place without practice, and they are ridiculous. Too much paperwork (while still requiring everyone to be "out front") engaging the guest.

Explore other reviews about Panera Bread

5.0
29 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Worked with college students so it was fun.

Cons

They fire people at the drop of a hat.

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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