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      Panera Bread

      Engaged Employer

      Panera Bread reviews

      3.4

      49% would recommend to a friend

      (18,777 total reviews)
      avatar

      Paul Carbone

      40% approve of CEO

      33% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Panera Bread has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 18,777 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Panera Bread employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants & Food Service industry (3.4 stars).

      Reviews by job title

      19K reviews
      3.0
      Feb 18, 2009

      As much as I liked the job and company itself, the way management treated myself and others was unbearable.

      Associate trainer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      A lot of hours, different areas to work in, flexible scheduling. Working for Panera gives you a lot of experience with customer service. Because of the type of associates they hire ( to ensure good customer service) almost all the associates are friendly and helpful. Most people quickly make friends out of coworkers. The downside is an extreme cult-like atmosphere, inside and outside the store.

      Cons

      Managers are unprofessional and immature. People would stay many hours later than scheduled, do things that weren't their job and received no recognition/promotion/raise. As much as I liked the job and company itself, the way management treated myself and others was unbearable. Management takes advantage of employees with flexible scheduling.

      3.0
      Feb 4, 2009

      Not wonderful, but not terrible either.

      Associate
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Panera Bread is a great place to work part-time and bring in a little extra cash. If you are a dependable employee, they are more than willing to accomodate scheduling needs and let you work extra hours. Associate shifts are basically "day" and "night"- the days start early, but the nights end early. Either way, employees with children or families are able to get home at a reasonable hour. It is a good plac to get a crash course in customer service, and interactions with "regular" customers give something to look forward to. Managers are hired from within, so there is opportunity to advance

      Cons

      There are too many managers, and none of them are on the same page. It is difficult to learn the ropes when ten different people are doing things ten different ways. High level of unprofessionalism when dealing with employees is alarming. It is not uncommon to overhear the general manager referring to a trainee as "retarded" or swearing under her breath when a trainee needs help. When starting work at Panera, I had to learn most of my responsibilities by observing others or simply figuring it out on my own. Some of my co-workers have been employed at Panera for 3+ years and still make minimum wage. It is very difficult to get a raise.

      5.0
      Jan 28, 2009

      very pleased

      Manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The company provides an excellent work/life balance. The store closes at 9:00 p.m. so there are no late nights, which makes it very conducive to family life. They do not have alcohol sales so you are able to avoid the associated problems of dealing with intoxicated patrons. The company is doin well financially and is one of very few restaurant chains to be growing in this economy. As a result you feel secure in your employment at a time when many fear cutbacks and layoffs.

      Cons

      the limitations of general manager

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      ReviewsPanera Bread reviews

      Glassdoor has 19,074 Panera Bread reviews submitted anonymously by Panera Bread employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Panera Bread is right for you.