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andi*pandi · Sep 5, 2003, 02:38 PM

had to go to post office today at lunch, discovered new Panera Bread tucked into strip mall.

Excellent turkey with colby sandwich, on tomato basil bread. And wacky green apple soda.

Good bread. Good cheese.

BasketofPuppies · Sep 5, 2003, 02:52 PM

Who cares about the bread as long as the cheese is excellent?

DeathToWindows · Sep 5, 2003, 03:09 PM

I've eaten there... quite good.
Really good clam chowder.

Stradlater · Sep 5, 2003, 03:10 PM

Originally posted by BasketofPuppies:
Who cares about the bread as long as the cheese is excellent?

I didn't think Panera was known for its cheese...and although it IS known for its bread, my thoughts on the business: overrated.

Steve · Sep 5, 2003, 03:26 PM

I much prefer to find a local deli/eatery to have a nice lunch instead of Corporate America's overpriced "Starbucks" with real food.

marusin · Sep 5, 2003, 03:29 PM

Whether Panera is "corporate" or not, they have free WiFi in a lot of their stores with more stores planned in the future... That's a very cool thing!

http://www.panerabread.com/wifi/

SomeToast · Sep 5, 2003, 03:35 PM

I am not ashamed to admit my long-standing addiction to the Bacon Turkey Bravo.

Agasthya · Sep 5, 2003, 03:45 PM

Originally posted by andi*pandi:

had to go to post office today at lunch, discovered new Panera Bread tucked into strip mall.

Excellent turkey with colby sandwich, on tomato basil bread. And wacky green apple soda.

Good bread. Good cheese.

Yeah, its good food.

I walked into Panera here in Champaign and I was wondering why it was so similar to St. Louis Bread Co. and I later found out that St. Louis Bread Co. is known as Panera everywhere except the St. Louis area.

JC Denton · Sep 5, 2003, 03:57 PM

The best part about Panera Bread is when they open up a new one. They opened one in Chicago (and promptly caused the closure of a Caribou Coffee, but that's another story) and offered $10 worth of merchandise to new customers. I got a whole mess of bagels and had free breakfast for a good week or so. Great deal.

I should try and tour with the Panera Bread openings, kind of like Homer and the Ribwich.

Scifience · Sep 5, 2003, 04:01 PM

Here in Cleveland a new Panera just opened down the street from me and they gave away free bread to everybody as a grand opening thing. I ended up with three loaves.

cacarr1 · Sep 5, 2003, 05:15 PM

I've worked for them for the past few years...I'm their computer guy here in Central Illinois.

Agasthya

I used to work at the Old Farm one in Champaign a couple of years ago. I love going to the Campus one because of the U of I girls!

Anyway, i'm glad to hear so many of you like it...

d0ubled0wn · Sep 5, 2003, 05:57 PM

Never ate there before... thanks for the suggestion. (Been looking for a new place to eat lunch.)

phantomdragonz · Sep 5, 2003, 06:20 PM

The one near me is closed... something about not paying their taxes... i want to go there to grab a bite... but it's closed!

P.D.

oVeRmInD911 · Sep 5, 2003, 06:21 PM

Just about every day I go there at the mall where I work, and get an asiago roast beef sandwich, broccoli and cheddar soup, and some fruit punch. I like it.

A lot.

mishap · Sep 5, 2003, 06:33 PM

Cinnamon Crunch Bagels....mmmm

boots · Sep 5, 2003, 09:51 PM

The turkey artichoke panini is really good.

I'm also fond of the asiago roast beef.

Used to have one on campus...then I moved and it isn't so convenient.

MaxPower2k3 · Sep 5, 2003, 10:11 PM

me and my friend went to one of the Paneras near here a few months back and it was really good. Plus, since by the time we were leaving it was about 5 minutes to closing, they gave us about $30 in free pastry that they would've thrown out otherwise. Me and my friend split it and had dessert for a week each. Good stuff. None of the Paneras in New Jersey have WiFi yet though.

ort888 · Sep 6, 2003, 12:48 AM

I have one right by my work. Good place to go to lunch.

Anywho, you can get $1 off every order. On the reciept there is a website listed. Go to it and fill out the simple questionare and it gives you a code to write on the recipt. Take it back for $1 off. Takes about one minute. Nice trick if you go there a lot.

King Bob On The Cob · Sep 6, 2003, 02:23 AM

What i consider the best thing on earth you will not find in anywhere except a St. Louis Bread Company (What they called it in St. Louis when it opened, they tried to move to Chicago with the same name and no one went there. They changed the name and business started booming.)
If your ever in the St. Louis area try a Gooey Butter Danish. Heart attack in a danish but good just the same. Make sure you get it in the morning so you get one with lots of "butter"

mrs b^3 · Sep 6, 2003, 08:01 AM

Originally posted by MaxPower2k3:
me and my friend went to one of the Paneras near here a few months back and it was really good. Plus, since by the time we were leaving it was about 5 minutes to closing, they gave us about $30 in free pastry that they would've thrown out otherwise. Me and my friend split it and had dessert for a week each. Good stuff. None of the Paneras in New Jersey have WiFi yet though.

I can top that, Baker's Delight, our local national franchised bakery, delivers to us all of their days leftovers to my college kitchen every Saturday night. Four or five garbage bags worth. Pastries, fruit loaves, rolls, sourdough, iced buns, the lot. The bread isn't even day old yet ('baked fresh every day'). Mind you, this is a kitchen for 500, and there would be about 250 in there cooking their dinner at that time, so getting it all to yourself is pretty good.

lawgeek · Sep 6, 2003, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by Agasthya:
Yeah, its good food.

I walked into Panera here in Champaign and I was wondering why it was so similar to St. Louis Bread Co. and I later found out that St. Louis Bread Co. is known as Panera everywhere except the St. Louis area.

Yeah when they first opened in Champaign it was called St. Louis Bread Co. I like that name better than Panera. Hmmm... I know where I'm going for lunch!

Powaqqatsi · Sep 6, 2003, 01:19 PM

Originally posted by marusin:
Whether Panera is "corporate" or not, they have free WiFi in a lot of their stores with more stores planned in the future... That's a very cool thing!

http://www.panerabread.com/wifi/

So what ??? you are there for eating something not surfin'...

marusin · Sep 7, 2003, 12:45 AM

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
So what ??? you are there for eating something not surfin'...

But they have a lot of coffee/pastries which make it a competitor to the coffeeshops in the area. Why go to Starbucks down the street for a coffee when i can go to Panera for a great cup of coffee and check my email at the sametime (for free compared to T-Mobile's $7.99). It works out very good for me since my current client blocks all forms of personal email using their network.

I run over to Panera for lunch and bring my laptop and catch up on life during my lunch break. There are tons of people taking advantage of the free wifi at the location by my client...