Panera Bread Company...

[vi edit]

How long can this place stay alive before people realize that they are getting dinky servings and subpar service at a price nearly 50% higher than the alternatives???

I went there today, for the first and last time, and ordered the soup and sandwich meal. It cost me nearly $7.00 and I didn't even get a drink. If I'd had a soda or a juice, it would have been nearly $9.00. And to top it off, I'm eating off of a piece of paper and I have to clean up after myself.

This place HAS to be making money hand over fist. I don't know how it couldn't be.

Can somebody explain to me the allure of this place, besides it being "the in" place to eat?

 

[trmiv]

Is this place exclusive to the midwest and east coast? I've never heard of it.

 

[MichaelD]

LOL! Vi_edit, I thought you were inquiring as to the financial health of this company b/c you were looking to buy stock or something...I guess you won't be buying stock, huh? Or wait...If they continue to rip people off, your investment could triple in six months....take me with you!

ps
I've never heard of them either.

 

[Random Variable]

They used to be known as the St. Louis Bread Company if that helps at all.

But I like Panera. The food is quite good (especially the pastries), the portions aren't small, and the decor is aesthically pleasing.

 

[vi edit]

Mike, I wish I would have been in on the IPO of this place, I would be a wealthy man. I just want to know how long this place stays in business, or at least in it's current pricing scheme, before people realize "I'm getting SCREWED!" and decide to eat elsewhere.

As for locations, they are all over the place here in east/central Iowa. There's probably at least 4 of them within 25 minutes of my house. It seems like some sort of coast restaurant that tries to portray itself as all fancy shmancy to lure in the DINKS and Yuppies.

 

[Pepsei]

there's a panera bread place at/near lake tahoe as well as richmond virginia.

as for your dislike of that place... i dunno... maybe it depend on the location.
as i travel between tahoe and richmond all the time, i noticed
vast difference between the krispy kreme at reno and richmond.

the kk donut place at west coast is always busy, with lines going out of the door... something you don't see in richmond.
i guess we're so used to kk here in the east coast we don't take it serious.

 

[Farbio]

they have panera in orlando, and i guess they're ok, but yea, a bit of a ripoff. i recently discovered the atlanta bread company and am in love with their chicken pesto panini sandwich - $7 for it, chips and a drink, not a bad deal for fast food that's not burger and fries.

 

[6TNINE]

Panera rocks the party. I bought the stock a while back (about 18 months or so) for 7 bucks. Whats it at today, bout 55. LOL. i go there all the time just to give back b/c it gave me sooo mcuh $$$.

If you havent had a cinnamon crunch bagel right out of the oven, you havent lived. I can eat like 4 of them at a sitting, they r so good. EVERYONE should try one.

69

 

[vi edit]

<< the kk donut place at west coast is always busy, with lines going out of the door... something you don't see in richmond.
i guess we're so used to kk here in the east coast we don't take it serious. >>



Really depends on how new the stores and the location. I work for a company that owns 5 Krispy Kremes and there is a VAST difference between the stores in terms of retail sales. We've got one in the middle of Omaha that just rakes in the "dough" (pun intended, haha) retail wise every morning from opening up to about 10:30 AM. I then calms down.

Other places are dead by 8:00 and don't do that well retail wise, but make up for it in wholesale(putting donuts in gas stations, convenience stores, ect).

Amazing how location and market makes such a big impact

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Panera is still in expansion mode, presumably increasing their market share. Assuming that the individual stores turn the 'regular' profit for a restuarant, the stocks should perform well.

 

[mithrandir2001]

Many investors are betting on Panera Bread to make them a lot of money. They are expanding and I've been to the one in State College, PA about 4 times. The prices aren't great, but they aren't targetting the 18-24 crowd...more like the 25-49 age group. They seem to want corporate traffic, people with more than a Taco Bell budget or just people who are tired of burgers and fries.

I think they will do quite well, but then again, I thought the same of Boston Chicken.

 

[MichaelD]

Hi Vi (hey, that rhymed...)

Heheh, yeah, it would've been nice to own stock in the company. Every time I buy stock, that company goes under. I guess I'm just a Schleprock or something.

If you were unhappy with the food or service, you could've voiced your concerns to the manager...unless he/she was a pimple-faced 19-year-old...then I wouldn't have bothered either.

One way to piss them off and get what you want is to say "you know, I eat at the Panera's over on XXX street...their food is much better...why is that?"

These places are all franchised and the owners are always in competition...always trying to outdo each other.

We have a pizza place chain called CiCi's Pizza here in South Texas. All you can eat type place. Cheap too. $5.50 with a drink. Anyway, I had really crappy food at one of the places once...the pizza was cold, the buffet bar was not well-stocked, etc. I complained to the manager. He gave me a card good for TWO free meals/w drinks! Needless to say, I still go there as when he sees me, he makes sure I get whatever I want. Its the whole "squeaky wheel" thing, I guess.

Anyway, I hope your next experience with Panera is a good one.

 

[yakko]

I took one look at their menu and decided they had nothing for me.

 

[mithrandir2001]

<< We have a pizza place chain called CiCi's Pizza here in South Texas. All you can eat type place. Cheap too. $5.50 with a drink. >>


Now how does CiCi's stay in business? I've eaten there in Plano but could never figure out how they can earn a profit. $5.50 is nothing and they give you all the food you want. It's not really great pizza, but it's so cheap as to not care.

 

[vi edit]

I'm a fan of all you can eat Chinese buffets. $5.00 to stuff my gourd full of crabmeat rangoon, general tso's, and sesame chicken and I'm a happy guy!

 

[Pepsei]

<< Now how does CiCi's stay in business? I've eaten there in Plano but could never figure out how they can earn a profit. $5.50 is nothing and they give you all the food you want. It's not really great pizza, but it's so cheap as to not care. >>


ah.. pizza is very very cheap to make... my friend who once worked at dominos told me that it takes about 50 cents to make a pizza that they sell for $15..
the cost maybe a bit more now..but that's still a killer profit. it is just full of dough(the pizza), some tomatoe paste, some meat perhaps.

 

[BDawg]

Their Cinamon Crunch bagels rule!