Panera Bread

I stopped by Panera yesterday, and honestly, it was complete chaos. It wasn’t very busy when I walked in, but shortly after, a busload of people came in. I placed my order before they even arrived, yet it still took over 20 minutes to get a simple half sandwich and soup. The kitchen area looked completely disorganized — staff seemed overwhelmed, and everyone waiting for food was crowded around the pickup counter asking where their orders were. When I finally got mine, the food tasted decent but wasn’t hot, which was disappointing after such a long wait. I understand that unexpected crowds can throw things off, but it really seemed like the team wasn’t prepared or communicating well. Hopefully management can get things back on track — because this location used to be much smoother.

I love Panera and even worked at one in college, but I won’t return to this location. Today I had a bad experience with a rude employee named Camryn. And the last time I came I had a bad experience with rude male employee who took my order and got it fully wrong. Panera recently had a policy that if they get your order wrong it’s on them. Apparently that’s no longer a thing. The manager told me she couldn’t put the $23 back on my gift card but eventually offered me a free meal the next time I came in. It was such an ordeal to get the meal made correctly and to get the manager to even agree to do anything to make up for their mistake. I think she must have known all along that actually she could have the money put back on the card but she just lied to me. Today I went in to get the free meal and it turns out the money was on the gift card after all. Camryn was super rude about it and acted like I’m trying to cheat them. You should really get kiosks like many Paneras have across the country so people can place their own order. Also, you really need some better employees. There are a few good ones but start with a new manager. From my perspective this location has gone downhill under the current management.

I go here Like every day. It’s my favorite. The sip club has great value. People are very nice and it’s chill to just study there or Work. Love it

We had a delightful and delicious lunch today. The service was very good. The food was excellent. In fact, one employee got me a hibiscus tea that she said, they keep behind the counter now. We each had a bowl of soup and a sandwich. All of the soups at Panera are so tasty, and the sandwiches are so fresh. The bread is delicious.

The food was great the atmosphere was great on the inside. As we walked in there was a man who seemed to be confused in his mind and was talking to himself. He came in that was a little scary. But the employees did a perfect job in helping him. The reason why I put one star in service was there was only the person up front taking our order. And of course at Panera you pick your own food up and sit down and eat. There was no tray to put our plates or cups on, we had to take our plates without a tray and go to the table. And then when we were finished we had to take our plates and cups and throw the trash away and then stack the plates in another part of the section where they have that. It was like a cafeteria type of place. If you want food to go that's a great place to go. If you want to dine in, not so good, you have to clean your own table and take your plates to the designated area that they specify. And then they want you to leave a tip before you sit down to eat.

I just ordered a meal through door dash and got a brownie bite. I paid $2.29 for literal bite of brownie. It's just barely bigger than a half dollar coin. I can't believe they are selling something like that for that much money. I thought it would be a little bit bigger but this is just ridiculous! Do better Panera.

This location definitely misses the mark on several fronts. There was no one at the order counter- unfortunately including staff. They were standing together near the kitchen entry chatting, but we waited for just shy of 5 minutes and none of them attempted to even greet us until I said- Perhaps we have to order on the self service screens? Then one of the girls turned to face us and take our order. We ordered a couple of breakfast sandwiches and the scrambled egg was so burned it was brown and crunchy. Also- on the sandwich was 1 slice of thin bacon? One slice? As far as atmosphere- that missed too. The napkin holder near the coffee station was filthy- it sits next the garbage hole in the counter so every type of food scrap and dried liquids was all over the side of it. Most furniture was cracked and finishes were missing pieces… even the counter top next to the register was held together with Duct Tape. The booth seats were sloppily finished during re-upholstery, and the seat portion pulls away from the back area- one would think for cleaning purposes, but the excessive food debris in each booth seat was evidence that cleaning was not why the b seats were moveable.

We ordered one bagel with cream cheese and one pastry. There was no one available to take orders, so we used a kiosk. Several of the kiosks were not working properly, and there was no staff around to assist. Unfortunately, both the pastry and the bagel were stale. The bagel was also not sliced, and since the order was to go, I had no way to slice it myself and had to wait before I could even eat it. Overall, the experience was disappointing.

Ordered Panera delivery for a work lunch and they arrived at the right building and on time. Everyone enjoyed their boxed lunches. I had the Green Goddess Cobb salad and it was huge and plentiful. The side baguette was really good and the chocolate chip cookie was surprisingly very tasty.

Awful place. Terrible service. Won't prepare what you ask for and will leave things out of your order.

Love Panera's Soups because there are NO Antibiotics in their meat! Tip = We buy one Chicken Tortilla Soup & add chicken broth & Ranch Style Beans to share.

You would be hard pressed to convince me this isn't the slowest Panera in America. And unapologetically slow. They don't even care. I have held off leaving a bad review because this Panera is close to home, and I try to give the benefit of the doubt, but time and time again they are the apathetic worst. Their bakery items are sparse, Rapid Pick-Up takes at least 15 minutes, and everything looks as careworn as the expressions on most employees' faces. I gave them more than fair chance to redeem themselves, but this Panera is hopeless.

Very clean & very good assortment of yummy food. I use the one at Cedar Bluff & my husband goes to the Oak Ridge one.

This location is old & dingy. The carpet is gross, there's paint chips & food on the walls. The booths need to be fixed because they're falling apart. Not worth eating food in a place like this.

Omg. The commercials make it look great. 35 minute wait wasn't bad, but the soup was cold and the sandwich was sub par, especially for the price. This place will not survive long unless some things change. Will never go back.

Food was amazing. Service was very friendly. We ordered salad soup and sandwiches and everything was delicious. We love Panera.

Panera has good, consistent food. We love the Sip Club membership for great drinks any day of the month. They have good sandwiches, bagels, and cream cheese, as well.

pretty chill and the service has always been kind to me personally. the food has been good as well but my issue is the weird regulars in there and they freak me out tbh. but that's not their fault

Yikes. Now I know how they're containing costs with the coffee subscription.... 2/3 full and it was cold, so don't use the curbside pickup Well, unless you're still scared of the mostly mild to zero symptoms ChiCom Political Flu and wandering around like a zombie wearing two-five masks.

I always have great service when I visit this Panera. They are sooo cheerful at any hour of day! I usually stop here after an extensive barre workout to replenish my energy!

This Panera has gone down hill the past few years. My husband and I got the coffee subscription but canceled because all the coffee, iced and hot , are so watered down. I'd much rather go across the street and spend $5 on a coffee at Starbucks. Last time we ordered a meal from the app and were patiently waiting near the pickup area, chatting to each other when an employee asked if we could be helped. I said we were just waiting for our order. She then responded with "well you'll just have to wait, we are busy!" I was shocked because I wasn't even asking for help. I understand how mobile orders work and she came to us. We weren't even asking for help.

Rude and incompetent. I went to pick up an order, took to my car, delivery driver storms out, yelleing at me that I had her order. I explained my wife's name was on the order. I was so stunned I didn't think to check the address and my phone was dead since I had been at the hospital all day with my Dad. Manager comes out, I was hoping he might resolve issue but he instead writes down my tag number, guess he thought I was trying to steal. Arrived home, and said rude driver had just delivered food. Turns out wife specified delivery, I thought pick up. Called manager and he said not his problem, as delivery is a third party. OK, here are the parties 1) Panera 2) Delivery 3) Me (and the rightful owner since we paid as we ordered). Manager could have tried to resolve on the spot, instead, he treated me as a possible criminal. Don't go to this place, plenty of local places with much better food. We were just tired and looking for an easy solution. Next time we walk the extra mile.

Look, I love Panera Bread Company. My son is a general manager of one in a different city. I got a half green goddess salad yesterday and it was the worst thing I've ever been served at a Panera. Granted the stores in Knox County are sub-par and poorly run in general but this is beyond the pale. The lettuce "spring mix" was quite literally stems. Hard, pokey, STEMS. No leaf. Plus the tomatoes were tough (how is that possible?), I specifically ordered dressing on the side - Nope, plopped on top. It was a major $8+ waste of money. Shame on them.

Run down and worn out looking inside, Missing ceiling tiles tell the real story. My food order was picked up by a homeless dude who left the building. When I complained, the staff just laughed. Obviously theft is funny to them. Plastic knifes and smaller tubs of cream cheese. The cost cutting is starting to resemble airline food. Coffee was warm not hot, they were out of lids for the cups unless you want your coffee in polystyrene. They do not post coffee information as to when it was brewed. The half and half was empty. Friendly staff? Yes up front but not in the back.

If you'd love the experience of ordering strictly from a kiosk and getting an unsliced, untoasted bagel thrown in a paper bag then this is the place for you. As an added bonus they also have lukewarm coffee. Again, prepare for zero service. It's a literal unstaffed cafeteria lol

Plan on checking your food before you leave. We ordered a few meals and after checking we were missing three items. When we asked the management, they said, "we are out of those items" That happens, but tell us that before we leave and either replace the item or take it off the bill. The inside was a typical below average Panera. If you do go here, plan on some extra time, under staffed.

Had this delivered it was good the food was warm . I did order bagels and the cream cheese and the Cheapest option for the cream cheese was very small was not expecting that it was not clear on the website the size of the cream cheese it just had different prices posted. The pick two is great and the portions are big enough for me. I love the bagels with the cinnamon crunch so good in the toaster with hazel cream cheese

Terrible service this morning - 730am 12/15 - Kingston road. Woman working the front was miserable & unfriendly. She should not be working in a customer service position. You can do better Panera.

Panera used to be great (especially this location), but my last several experiences have been very disappointing. And so was staff response. On the last visit, I couldn't order online because they are short staffed so I could only order inside...ok fine. Once there, they were out of numerous items and then gave me the wrong soup. Also, on a previous order, they were again out of many items. I finally decided on a chicken sandwich and it was pathetic. Almost no chicken and literally one little shred of wilted basil. I was hoping to contact the Peters Rd location to see what they may have in stock but their number is disconnected, even though I know for a fact they're open. Anytime I have discussed these issues with a staff member, they could basically care less. We'll be finding other options for quite a while, which is a shame because they used to have great service and food quality. Get your stuff together Panera.

This Panera was extremely understaffed. I waited 30 minutes for my food that I could only get to go because dining area was closed, and when I arrived home they forgot to get my mac and cheese that I paid for. Extremely unprofessional and overall not a good experience. Broccoli cheddar soup was good though.

Not very impressed with this location, decided to try it since I just moved to Knoxville and heard good things about Panera. Went on Tuesday around 1:30-2:00pm. The Sweet Tea tasted more like Unsweetened Tea. The sandwich I ordered was good! The manager or whoever he was (wearing a Green shirt) immediately stood right over our cashiers shoulder, as soon as she went to fill my Tea, he took over her register and closed it out before she could give me my receipt. When she got back to the register, she asked if I had been given my receipt and when I said No, the Manager said he couldn't print me a receipt and that he had just closed the register out! He was kinda rude about it too. I won't be going back!! I might try another location in the future but not anytime soon. They left a bad impression that day.

The woman who was working the register was extremely friendly and helpful. The food is as good as it always is.

This looks like a common study spot for students. I came here on a weekday one evening and it was full of students! I guess Starbucks was full? The seating is so cozy and there are more seats. The staff is friendly and have a high tolerance for people like me - customizing things on the menu. Butternut squash soup comes with bread or chips. It was perfectly creamy and warm. Not salty or sweet. The consistency should fulfill your soup craving. Mediterranean Veggie sandwich/ panini - it's so tiny for the cost! It's nothing fancy. Craving to try: butternut squash ravioli

Received a Panera gift card and I've been trying to use it. Every single time I try to order from this location they are out of all the ingredients. I finally was able to order the sandwich I wanted with a side of soup. It did not come with utensils that I requested on the app, the sandwich had extra ingredients that were not listed, and my soup did not include the little bread toppings. Also waited an extra 10 minutes to get my food. Safe to say I'm disappointed

I've been to this Panera a few times recently. Twice I ordered their Chipotle Chicken Avacodo Melt. Very good sandwich. The sides are awful. A bag of chips, a hunk of dry bread with no dipping oil or butter to aid it along or a whole apple. I got the bag of chips (still in my cupboard at work) The next time I went I bought 2 salads for myself and my boss. The Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken and the Citrus Asian Crunch Salad with Chicken. There was very little chicken on either of these salads. Maybe a couple of tablespoons of chicken I ordered the large salads and they were very, very stingy with the ingredients. I could have gotten much, much better pre-made salads at Publix for much less. Also the tea was old and nasty. Didn't get a drink after the 1st order.

One of the Worst Panera Location. Either they will run out of Coffee Lids or Coffee and nobody is there to fix this. I have Panera coffee subscription and most of the time happen that coffee is not there and if I report at counter then they will say we will inform Manager. You have to keep waiting for 1 cup of coffee which is waste of time. Their Kiosk machine is joke. Most of the time broken. They never participate in any online offers.Only Positive point is it is clean, spacious and good location. Today I cancelled my coffee subscription because this is the store which is near to my residence and can't waste my time for just 1 cup of coffee.

Another amazing breakfast sandwich. The staff here is so great. Over hearing them interacting with customers - they're top notch. My food always arrive quickly and fresh!!

Worst Panera I have ever been to... They were short staffed, we understood that & ordered in the kiosk & were fine with the fact that everything was being packaged "to-go". We just didn't think that it would effect our food. The tea was for sure very old. My salad was mostly iceberg stems and some strange black seed? The food was terrible and the staff was consumed with closing, mind you there was well over an hour till close when we ordered. Panera isn't cheap. It was over $30 for two people... and the food was absolutely terrible.

This Panera sucks. Not clean in the slightest. Employees always seem to be annoyed you're there to eat.

We waited 30 minutes for our food at the Mercedes Place location in Knoxville. Never again!!

Horrible customer service. All tables were dirty. Root beer flavor was almost water (lol my son almost gagged.) We went here because my son earned a reward (kids meal) from school. They didn't honor it since it had expired a couple days. Oh well. I only wish they would have been more sympathetic to my 7yo - the lady who stopped the transaction didn't even look us in face when she said, "No. This is expired." And simply walked away. My son was sad about it but moved on. The other Panera bread is a better option. Customer service goes a long way. Unfortunately, that quality is non existent at this location.

I had the Veggie Mediterranean Sandwich and it was pretty good, This is my first time here at this location, I went to the one in Kentucky and they have that older adult crowd feel to it. The one at this location do appear to be drawn more to younger kids, teens and maybe its because of the wifi. My 7 year old hates this place and he care less about wifi . I had a good time here and no complaints Will I be back ? Yes , Food and Service was great !! But, It would be nice to add more to the menu for people who dont eat meat.

They have a greek salad that is pretty good. You may have to tell them to lay off the red onions. I crave greek salads and this a good greek salad that you can get to-go if you are in a hurry.

Great chain, healthy food, Antibiotic free chicken, no artificial colors, a safe place for good food. Excellent delivery to your car for takeout, easy to use app, and collect points for items also...always friendly, albeit sometimes slow, service.

i'm not a fan of paying $8 for a sandwich that doesn't even fill me up. I felt like I ate an appetizer after I eat any sandwich from here. Not a fan. This Panera bread is huge. Probably the biggest one I've ever seen. They have a ton of seating filled with high school students studying or just mingling. I came here a couple times to study. It's actually an excellent place to study, but it can be very packed at times. I don't see myself coming back here and ordering a sandwich. They are crazy busy though!

This Panera looked shut down, small, and empty on the outside. We weren't sure if it was even open and then my husband said "it's a Panera Bread, it's definitely open." We open the door and was shocked at how big, beautiful, and crowded the inside was! The food was so good, we didn't leave anything behind. I had a grilled cheese with chips and broccoli and cheese soup and my husband had the same soup and chips but with a turkey avocado blt. And I got a chocolate chipper cookie which was just as awesome!

Been a good Panera from all of my experiences! And they have the kiosks - my husband loves using the kiosks because it's easier for him to customize his sandwich! The one time we didn't use the kiosk, we're pretty sure the cashier did the opposite of everything we asked for. "Broccoli and cheddar soup, please." She even clarified that that was the right soup... next thing we know, we have a black bean soup. I ordered a grilled cheese... she assumed I wanted the fancy version which has never happened. Figured it was an off day for her. But every time I've ordered a salad, it's been FILLED with toppings. So for that, I'll happily give 4 stars. I love a full salad!

My husband and I were driving through Knoxville from the Smoky Mountains on our way to the Nashville Airport. We had a great meal at Panera and I accidentally left my purse in the bathroom. The manager was VERY KIND and mailed my purse back to me in Massachusetts so I wouldn't miss my flight. Incredible manager at this Panera :)

Although this restaurant produces good sammies & soup consistently there is a big flaw in their expediting system if I had to wait 26 minutes today just simply for a to-go order of soup!!

Went there last week on Friday for lunch. Always reliable. Had new sammy: tasty tuna salad on peppered focaccia accompanied by apple. Ate it so fast forgot to take pic of it!

If you are in Knoxville never go to this Panera. I've had bad experiences before but this time I will never go back. I got the Baja bowl and my friend got the Greek bowl to go. The bowls were not even half way full. We went to a worker and we very nicely told him that I get this bowl all the time and it usually fills the bowl. He very rudely told us that it is never full and always like that. (The bowl was almost empty!!!) He made us feel so dumb and told us we could try and get a refund if we want. My one star is for the refund even though it doesn't even deserve one star because the manager or store owner was rude, barely spoke to us, and didn't apologize while giving the refund. Every other Panera in Knoxville has extremely nice workers and prepares great food so go to another one!

Terrible experience, I ordered one of the hot bowls and it was about 1/4 full maybe a 1/2 full max. It looked very sad and definitely not worth $10. I love Panera and have ordered the same thing at other locations and it's usually full to the top. When I asked for help the person I spoke with said it's supposed to look like that and I could get a refund if I wasn't happy. I gave a second star because I was allowed to get a refund, but the manager who gave the refund was extremely rude as well. Review is for the location not the chain. Just pick a different Panera if you're in the area!

So sad to see the quality of food prep go downhill. The first breakfast soufflé was cold, and the replacement was not cooked. Totally understand that with limited help, Panera may not be able to offer all items... but keep quality up in whatever you do! Also, Toaster was broken.... At a cafe bakery? Disappointed... :(

I was very disappointed that there was no one who would allow me to trade up a reward for a smoothie. I have a free soda, standard coffee or tea but I do not want any of those. I would like a smoothie and simply wanted to pay the difference or an up-charge as I have done at other establishments with similar programs. The cashier was reluctant to even ask her manager and then someone told her that it couldn't be done "because they didn't know which button to press..." That was it. They had no more concern for a positive customer service experience. I earned this "free" drink only after 10 visits and each of those was over $10, so I really don't feel that I'm asking for the moon. I was willing to pay the $2 price difference between soda and smoothie but this Panera Bread does not want my $2. Remember that everyone. This Panera Bread doesn't want any of your money... I, for one, will oblige.

I have been a fan of Panera for many years but this morning's customer service was not acceptable. We have all experienced a year of change and difficulty. Kindness costs absolutely nothing but it is so absolutely necessary to show respect and consideration to your customers. I will not be back.

A solid Panera experience was had here, with a bonus of table side service. Plenty of staff was on to assist. We had almost no wait in line. The location was difficult to find the first time. I want to give 3.5 stars, but am rounding up rather than down, because hey, it is consistently well prepared, and that is what I need when I go there. That, and a lot of good bread. All the bread.

Had a catering order and the manager said he didn't think the gift card would work for a catering order, so he wouldn't accept it. That is ridiculous! Why would you sell gift cards if you can't use them when needed? He was not friendly or good to work with. I would suggest another location or a alternate business for catering.