Unrealistic Corporate expectations + Stressed Managers = Unhealthy work environment - Associate Panera Bread Employee Review

Great job; I spent a long time unemployed but I wish I would’ve kept a job at Panera since high school. This easy going and well playing job would’ve been made my educational journey so much smoother. -free food while you work (save money) - friendly coworkers willing to work as a team - understand and easy going management -easy work - coworkers and managers willing to teach

- baking shift difficult since you have to come back to production afterward - management tends to get frustrated during the rush - sometimes with the rush you don’t get a break

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.

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.