Good Company, Good Environment, Good Pay - Manager Panera Bread Employee Review

4.0
Jan 14, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Core values taught and repeated enough to make a positive impact throughout cafes Competitive salary (for established locations*) Five day work weeks (6 day "unofficial" requirement for first 2 weeks of new cafe openings) 45 scheduled hours per week Great training resources for the entire operation - any and all questions can be answered within minutes after looking through the online database of training docs or after a phone call to the "help desk" IT support which is on call 24/7.

Cons

Promotions and new job openings given to "friends of friends" like many other companies...it's still very annoying 45 scheduled hours can see a 30% spike during new cafe openings and this is very high. I have seen higher jumps in weekly work hours during new cafe openings and the workload is often unfairly put on the shoulders of the few people who seem to make the best of things with the least amount of help. There are shift supervisors working for the company that make more money than some assistant managers. New positions that emerge within the company are often filled before an opportunity arises for anyone to apply. The "opportunity for growth" is always mentioned in cafes to anyone interested in "climbing the corporate ladder", but it is something that eludes many talented individuals in the company.

Explore other reviews about Panera Bread

5.0
Jul 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Everything is great here! The food, the people, the atmosphere. It’s a wholesome company.

Cons

Have only had good experiences here.

3.0
Apr 18, 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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