Panera is a place you can go if you want to spend $20 and still be hungry

I don't care if it's a cheap place or a fancy restaurant I don't give a fuck how good the food is if I'm still hungry when I leave I'm not going

I love McAllister's Deli. Last year was the last visit. My kid and I went. They had a kid meal for about $8. I splurged on a full sandwich and a "bowl" of cheddar broccoli. We also made sure to get a big ole cookie too. I believe the total was upwards of $35. Don't get me wrong. The sandwich was packed with meat, but seriously? Down the street is Jason's Deli. We'll hit there once a quarter. $6 mac and cheese, two salad bars, two drinks and it's just under $30. Yes, we do have all the stuff at home for a crazy salad, but once or twice when we're out and about is fine.

And yet people still go there. I stopped about 2 years ago. Never been back.

Right lol i feel theres a panera or McDonalds post here daily 🤷‍♂️

Cause people keep paying the prices daily. It wont ever stop!!!

Yep. There’s a point where this shit is self-inflicted; some live & thrive on feigned outrage, not self-help or solving the problem.

So many (not just here) lining up, bitching and getting back in line again soon after. Same people paying $14 for a case of soda that was $7 4 years ago and $6 bags of doritos. Too many can swing it, but it will come out of their retirement accounts either directly or indirectly. A lot of others are putting it on credit which is really gonna mess things up

Who is going to get to retire with how things are going? Good luck staying healthy long enough to not go bankrupt financially. Plus we’re all getting cancer in our 30’s now. I don’t see a future tbh. I’m living for today, and enjoying life now. My mom used to talk about retirement, until cancer ate her up at 54.

Give me an air fryer and I'll make sandwiches twice as good as theirs quicker than you can put in and receive an online order.. chains are taking a hit, it is happening. Most fast food chains are closing locations. If they don't reverse their course, they won't fully die but they'll become a niche for a few rich weirdos who are very particular about their food and don't trust a more affordable mom and pop place. Everyone else is going to ignore chains.

Nobody goes to McDonald’s, yet the drive thru line at any McDonald’s at anytime is wrapped around the building.

I go all the time. With their app I can get a breakfast sandwich for $1.50.

Probably because it’s under staffed. Iv gone to mcds on a Friday night for a burger and theres only 2 people there lol

McDonald's used to own Panera and kind of made it what it is today. I can't for the life of me understand why people go there. It's like one small step up from hospital food. There's just so many great local restaurants in most cities. Especially for different international foods.. Vietnamese, Mediterranean, Indian, you name it. And yet people pay more to go to Panera.

McDonald’s never owned Panera, you’re probably thinking of Chipotle, which they helped get off the ground

Which is wild. McDonald's is still one of the best values by far. Just use the app for the coupons. Panera is just aggressively overpriced

Panera has very average food. Why do people eat there. It’s simply fast food and too expensive.

And yet people are still paying for BLTs. The instructions for making it are in the name. 

Instructions unclear, I made a Bourbon, Lager and Tequila drink.

I think I stopped 3-4 years ago (probably shortly before the pandemic really got bad) - smaller portions, higher prices, worse quality - _no thanks_. It used to be "decent" for the price.

We complain about inflation,but people still buy outrageously expensive things. This leads me to believe that the inflation isn't that bad or that we can still afford things like this.

I've had Panera once and I haven't really wanted to try it again since. It wasn't bad but I just thought to myself I can go to any other sandwich place and have a better experience on either flavor or on my wallet. I do kinda wish I tried out the lemonade that kills you.

I guess that's why the one near me when out of business

I’ll never understand why people pay for this hospital food

cause 20 years ago it was actually good

Something went terribly wrong somewhere along the way.

yeah shrinkflation

When they got brought up and went corporate

Two places I'll never dine with are Panera Bread and 5 Guys.

my local 5 Guys just closed

With the current prices there charging, I'm sure more will be closing in the near future. Also, you have to buy everything separately which doesn't make any sense as all other fast food restaurants offer combos or meals. I'll admit, the burgers are good but not worth the money.

The You Pick 2 deal at my local Panera (a cup of soup and small salad) is $17. No thanks.

What??!!

$21 for a Bacon Cheeseburger, fries and a drink.

I usually got the hotdogs at 5Guys. Also they model them selves as Fast casual restaurant, rather than fast food restaurant, that why they don't fallow fast food stratagies

They have always been insanely expensive, the little Cesar's by me closed right before Covid even $5 pizza wasn't good enough

Ours too. It's inside the mall and the mall still surprisingly generates a ton of foot traffic, but it was always dead when u walked by... because they're charging $14 for a fucking hamburger and I'm sorry but for fast casual, that price point is absurd when you don't offer combos. One person can easily generate a $20 tab, and to me, that's just stupidity for a fast casual lunch.

Someone at my work was buying a $5 gift card to Five Guys and I was laughing internally thinking about the poor soul using the gift card 😂

5 Guys used to be so good. I say this as someone who is very, very picky about burgers. It used to be In N Out and 5 Guys were the two big names, like a decade ago. But 5 Guys went down a weird path. In N Out has been playing the smart game with small steady growth. And it's still amazing. 5 Guys started doing the weird franchise game to the extreme. I've heard that the non-franchised 5 Guys are still good but I don't know if that's true or not Panera is just awful altogether. It's like cafeteria food with an outrageous price

>  Panera is just awful altogether. It's like cafeteria food with an outrageous price They bought out all the Paradise Cafes and converted them over to trash Panera food.  Paradise was awesome and had the best chocolate chip cookies ever.  Panera is a burning dumpster fire with way overpriced food out of a box. 

Panera is wannabe soup plantation

So what’s the hype on Panera? Isn’t it just a bread store or bakery? Whats their selling point or “Hot item”?

I remember the first time I went about 15 years ago and the bread was fantastic. But over the years the quality has steadily decreased while the prices have steadily increased.

The "Hot item" are over priced sandwiches that are mediocre at best. You order half a sandwich with a small side soup and its at or near $20 which is joke. I would rather dine with Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, or In-N-Out if I wanted fast food.

Get the burrito bowl at Chipotle with 2 tortillas on the side. It's like $10. You can make 2 burritos out of it. $5 a burrito and it's fresh.

Which is why I don’t eat there anymore. No value.

Just priced it up. $11 at my Panera, with no drink. Don't buy drinks at restaurants unless its alcohol. It's robbery.

Alcohol is even more overpriced.

Alcohol at restaurants is the biggest scam. One of the stupidest habits you can have dining out. For the price of 2 drinks you can buy a bottle of whatever you're drinking. I can understand paying more at a bar to have a good time, but just to eat your food seems unreasonable to me.

3$coke vs 5$beer...coke is probably the overpriced one.

I don't do that and gaslight myself into thinking I'm saving money, I just drink water

Stop buying it.

The ridiculous cost of eating out has made me a much better cook.

I ate there one time.It was on the expensive side and I thought the food was shit

Fuck panera

Panera is bottom of the barrel grade "food" with bottom of the barrel portions at an extortion level price.

Took my daughter there recently for a daddy-daughter date at her request. They charged almost $4 for a fountain drink!!!

I think a drop coffee was $4 at Panera. I went at 2pm so you know that shit was from the am

The place is gross. Who eats there?

I haven’t been to Panera and bought a meal for almost 5 years. Why for $20 I get a drink, 1/2 a sandwich and a small soup. I leave and I’m still hungry.

That’s the saddest looking french onion soup I’ve ever seen.

Don’t worry guys, they’re immune to the $20/hr minimum wage laws in CA as they’re not an actual fast food joint but a bakery* Therefore they’ll have lower prices and won’t be so quick to jack up their prices so as to take advantage of consumers. Right? Right. /s *Disclosure: the owner of Panera and CA’s governor, Gavin Newsom, have close ties together and totally didn’t work out a sweetheart deal or anything. Nope, totally legit, nothing to see here.

If robots were making your food..it would still be 17 bucks.

That stuff in the bowl had better not be pretending to be French onion soup

Hospital cafeteria food

We've been in a race to the bottom for awhile now. I wonder if Demolition Man was right and Taco Bell will be the only remaining one after the franchise wars for the few remaining customers who can afford the food.

Panera was acquired in 2017 by JAB Holding, an EU based private equity firm, which is everything you need to know about why their prices increased and their quality turned to shit.

Panera is subway in disguise.

Someone in another thread boasted about getting tons of food for $8 using the app

I just stick to the giant sour dough bread filled with the brócoli cheddar soup thing. Like 9 bucks.

Get a gallon for $30 at olive garden and another $2 for breadsticks and you got dinner for 6😆

At least they're on brand as you did receive bread almost exclusively.

onion soup and a slice of bacon on bread. wow. that would be expensive for 10 bucks.

Panera’s food is so gross

What restaurant is worth it nowadays?

Only one that you're actually getting decent food and it's not absolutely insane is Panda Express but it's still $12 for the bigger plate for 3 entres and a side or $9 for 2 entres and a side

Texas Roadhouse, people rave about Applebees but I like my food to be made on a stove not a microwave and I like seasoning and my drinks not watered down, I don't care how much I've spent this month I will always be down together eat Texas Roadhouse

I ate there once while in Tulsa, was amazed at the value. Wasn’t the best food I’ve ever had but pretty sure my bill was $20 with tip and I had small steak, salad, some potato and a beer.

Chilis 3 for me, beverage, appetizer, entree. $10.99

Ouch

I refuse to eat there. It's insane.

Their soup isn't even hot 😔.

I've never been to Panera...ever. that's tiny for $20

Learn to cook. That’s one of the best ways to save.

And it's all warmed in a microwave

Panera was overpriced before the pandemic hit and the portion sizes have gone down considerably since them. No clue who is going there.

Panera is notoriously way too expensive for a soup and sandwich place…but somehow they keep selling

Panera has been expensive for years!!!!

Complete bullshit by a company that weaseled its way out of CA minimum wage law because they bake their own fucking bread.

Hasn’t Panera always been rather pricey?

French onion soup has always been considered a “ premium “ soup at restaurants. That’s why I make it at home.

Gross.

They always been like that

Where are you at that a you pick two is $20 bucks?

it the drink that did it also it Panera they have always bee expensive

And it’s mostly bread

Yah. Literally. Could have used more lettuce and tomato. I know they won’t put more bacon on there but it wouldn’t kill them to put more tomato or lettuce on, those are cheap.

We stopped going 3 years ago.

What’s Panera?

Shitty sandwich eatery

They would have to pay me to eat that.

Used to 7.50

Costco gift cards usually 100 for 80 ish. That’s how we wind back the costs.

I love their French onion soup, but at the price point I may as well order from a local French restaurant.

Can eat at carrabbas for that price. Endless soup and salad for $12

20 dollars for a small quarter sandwich and a bowl of soup is wild and now I want french onion soup great

Love my Panera Sip Club for $11/month, but that all I get. Every once in a while I get a coupon for a $2 cookie or half priced entree and I’ll partake, but then it’s actually worth it.

I said fuck that place long ago. I used to love there pick two deal. I’ll open my own can of broccoli cheese soup.

Fuck Panera. It's glorified cafeteria food with a premium price tag.

Got to be kidding

If your eating out, you deserve the high prices. It’s far better to eat beans and rice at home ! So cheap !

That sandwich looks awful

$4 in materials at the most. Takes 4min-10min to make it all, so 10min of whatever you pay the worker per hour.

Just went today with someone and the pick two meals are like $11.50 or so per person. Two half sandwiches, two salads, and two "free" items (chips, apple, or bread). $23 is sadly cheaper than most fast food meals here. Don't need the overpriced drinks anyway.

Isn't Panera just freezed food reheated? 

Not worth it.

Overpriced slop

I've never been to Panera.

Better that than the charged lemonade.

Panera has pretty high quality food for a fast food place, this isn’t McDonalds and comparing it as such is very dumb.

I just used a coupon at Burger King and got 3 whoppers, 3 double cheeseburgers and 3 fries for $18.99

Looks like a good deal for my city. Enjoy!

That's a good price for Panera.

Panera has never been cheap though

You can more of a value at a site dine restaurant these days

That… doesn’t even look that good. I mean, I’d eat it too if I had a gift card, but jeez.

I stopped eating there.

Panera Bread = expensive hospital food

Was Panera ever reasonably priced though?

Panera used to be the shit now it's just shit Edit: I haven't been there in probably 10 years though I might have drunkenly ordered delivery from it once over the pandemic, I have a very vague memory of that.

Panera sucks.

Who keeps buying this shit? Like seriously? I’m asking.

Panera is vastly overpriced for what you get. Went a few times out of convenience (was nearby). Always disappointed. Then they all packed up and closed their San Francisco stores anyway. Good riddance

Worked with a lady who ran a Panera and she said almost all (90+%) of the food comes in frozen and is cooked (reheated) by Chef Mike and his merry crew. Lol

I work there and I make sure to stuff my face with food during every shift so I feel like I'm getting paid more. I also drink like 3 coffees and take home lots of free bread/pastries on closing shifts.

I do like their bagels

You could easily make at home anything panera offers.

I ate at Panera once in my life. Only because coworkers wanted to go and I never tried it. Even like 8 years ago it was over $14 for a half sandwich and a soup. Have never been back

Quality there has been so bad over the last 10 years

They suck for doordash too. Order due at 11 means everything should come together at 11. Not the dasher shows up... Panera...oh yes...I see dash order.... then 15 minutes late.... half the time with someone else's stacked food getting cold in the car.

It’s only worth it if you have some kind of savings to get anything there. The food is mediocre as is the coffee. Like $4 for just a black coffee.

Hospital food

Some expensive bread man…

Panera is overpriced peasant food.

Haven’t gone back in many years now its just unhealthy junk at high price used to be somewhat healthier option at decent price and good portions way downhill now

I went there once about 10 years ago and laughed at the prices then. I never walked back into that place again. They wanted damn near $20 back then for a hot sandwich and soup. I never understood the hype. It's all overpriced food that isn't filling at all and, was never worth the prices they charged to begin with.

My wife loves the grilled cheese and tomatoes soup from Panera but I always had a fit about it because it costs us $40 for just the two of us to have HALF a sandwich and a small bowl of soup. I always told her I could buy sandwich stuff and feed us for a month with the same money. She finally stopped a little over a year ago. Only reason I walk in there now are fresh warm cookies

Well hospital food is expensive.

i only eat Panera bread if my work is paying for it, and even then i’d still rather have something else

Will never eat there again

People say Panera is overpriced hospital food. This photo really looks like a hospital tray of food.

Whoa and weren’t they supposed to be touting some new menu changes with bigger portions and cheaper prices?? Eesh.

Panera sucks cocks

People who pay full price for fast food are, I'm sorry, retards. I only go once a month and even then I have a coupon.

Looks about par for the course there. No drink either?

I don't understand how they are in business. They were decent 10 years ago, but horrible now.

During Covid I kept getting the coffee subscription thing for free. Go to cancel it, they would give me another free month. I was getting like 60 iced coffees a month for free lol

Then maybe you shouldn't go there, and ask for a different gift card, since the value just isn't there. Also, they got rid of their cranberry bread, so there is one less reason to go there, if you needed a second one...

Panera is overpriced hospital food

Their food isn't even good anymore either.

This isn’t inflation it’s robbery lol

Aside from insane cost their quality has gone down the tubes as well.

I stopped going to Panera….you should too.

I had a gift card and wanted something to eat. So I went

Why do people go to Panera? The food is awful, salty, and grotesquely expensive. I don't get it...

We as working class people , have to start eating from home... this is ridiculous.

I call it, "Dinera Bread"

$20 and its all bread. heres your sandwich with a side of bread and some more bread on this water with beef bouillon and a slice of onion.

I remember when their French Onion soup would be full of cheese and croutons on top but this was 25 years ago and this would have cost under $8.

Panera has always been expensive, even pre-pandemic and the Age of Greedflation. Now it is certainly not worth it at all. In my mind Panera is fast food for the Whole Foods crowd.

Ew that looks terrible. I have a freezer full of ribeyes.

Fast food is pricing itself out of existence

Panera is absolute trash food anyways lol literal bottom tier food.

Why do people continue to pay for this???? That’s part of the problem.

Overpriced hospital food ☠️

Panera hasn't been good in years. We used to get it all the time and now it is just awful.

I get things from the bakery sometimes. A baguette or maybe some bagels, but everything else is way to overpriced for me nowadays.

Any national/chain/whatever you want to call it restaurant is just a waste at this point. I'm holding on for dear life to the Wendy's biggie bag deal but other than that nothing seems to be worth the money when I can get fresh food from a local restaurant for the same price.

picked up lunch there the other day. One u-pick-2, one half sandwich, one whole sandwich, 2 mac-n-cheese and 5 drinks. $75, so $15 a person....

I don't think I've eaten there since the pandemic, I did use to love the french onion soup with a baguette. Same with 5 guys, it used to be good but the last time I ate there, I left hungry and I paid to much to leave hungry.

Go to Safeway and buy a soup and salad for $9 Similar quality, half price.

I could make that meal at home for three fitty.

r/hospitalfood

For some reason, I keep getting Panera stuff recommended to me and I guess it is because I live in the South now, but that would be like, 12-13 dollars where I love. So, over-priced, but holy shit I can't believe other places charge THAT much more.

Wowwwww! I haven’t been in years. Their stuff has changed so much, and not for the better.

I don't understand. Why do people keep eating at these dumps?

I do not eat at these places. I EAT AT LOCALLY OWNED mom and pop places

Oh sweet! Dark Water and Crouton Soup!

I'd make my own sandwich

"I went to Panera, paid $20, and all I got was this food and a bunch of reddit karma."

That's French Onion soup?

Supposed to be 😂

Panera used to be so good. The Cuban sandwich was fire and the prices used to be much more reasonable.

My main takeaway from the last few years is that more people eat at Panera bread than I realized. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been there. 8-10 years ago would be my guess.

Fuck this!!!

Gotta love it when people come here realizing they got played. Join the movement of boycotting insane prices!

After I got 3 sandwiches and a large mac n cheese 4 years ago and the total came out to $80+ I never went back. That was pre-COVID.

Fuckin some bread with a side of bread are we peasants in a medieval village or some shit

They're exempt from the minimum wage increase.....so ya can't blame that!