Scrutiny by the Masses

What I Like Best About Panera

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated for my review, the words and thoughts are all my own.

Panera is probably my most favorite place to grab a bite, get some breakfast, or meet my friends for lunch or coffee. There's nothing quite like going in to Panera, being greeted by the employees, and getting a lunch that's not only yummy but pretty good for you, and then enjoying the free wi-fi.

What makes Panera special, though, is their outstanding employees. They often know many of the patrons, especially those who are regulars, and take the time to know what foods are preferred, what temperature the desired beverage is enjoyed, and are only too happy to recommend a new treat or meal.

Case in point. I buy bagels there almost every week. My kids can breeze through a Baker's Dozen Bagel Pack in about 3 days. The staff at my Panera knows that I have kids with food allergies and sensitivites, and so they take the time to individually slice the bagels, and bag each type separately. That's nice. Last week, I came for bagels on a Friday -

Note to Self: do not buy bagels on a Friday. They will be sold out by 8 a.m.

and the employees took my order, baked fresh bagels, bagged them for me, and had them waiting for my pick up when I returned 3 hours later.

These are the types of habits that make a good company great.

Tell me: why do you like Panera?

Panera is Goodness

One of the reasons that I love to visit Panera is that I know every single food sold there is high quality. It's well made, from high quality ingredients that are good for you as well as yummy.Take the bread, for example. Thick, crusty, full of flavor - I can't go into Panera and NOT get a loaf. Every.single.time.

Have you see The Baker's Table - An Ode to Bread? It's a relatively short video that details why bread is the center of every culture, and how bread is essential to every form of life. I've been baking bread since I was a child, and it was really interesting to hear all the details of bread - those things that make it amazing. When the grandma said that giving someone bread was like giving someone love - yes. That's it for me. Bread= love.

Watching the videos on the Panera Facebook page that detail how Panera creates new foods was really illuminating. I'll admit that the first one I watched was the Macaroni and Cheese story - Panera's Mac and Cheese is my personal Kryptonite. I can avoid pasta and cheese all week long, but one step inside Panera and that macaroni and cheese is in.mah.belly.

I decided a couple of years ago to avoid fast foods and in fact, most commercially prepared foods. Serving sizes have exploded, foods are full of goodness knows what (often excess fats, sugars and chemicals) and I feel better both eating and serving foods to my family that are made from scratch. One place that I will still visit is Panera. Their commitment to quality ingredients shows time and again in their delicious foods.

I'm partial to the Macaroni and Cheese, the tomato soup, the strawberry chicken salad and the egg souffles. I'm curious, though - what is YOUR favorite Panera offering?

While this post was compensated, the thougths and ideas expressed in this blog post are all my own.

Panera is One of My Favorites

While I have been compensated for this post, the thoughts and opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am a fan of Panera Bread.We buy bagels there every week and if I'm especially flush with money, I've been known to treat myself to lunch. My son knows that the way to appease mom if she's grumpy is to offer to buy a Panera lunch.Ask me how many times he's done this, lol.

I was delighted to be asked to join the Panera Bloggers. For the next 3 months I will be blogging about my experiences in the Panera bloggers program, in which I will have to eat at Panera and journal my experiences. (Hey, I have a rough job sometimes...)

Panera is one of my favorite places to eat out, especially if I'm in a hurry, because it's quick and tasty, but also because the food is fresher and often it's more healthy. I like the atmosphere and love the fact that I can get wifi there. There have been many times my internet is out and I visit my Panera.It's a win-win for me. The Autism support group that I attend meets at our local Panera and I love the fact that it's a place that invites you to hang around and relax.

I am an avid and prodigious baker and bake most everything that we eat from scratch. Despite that, I often purchase bread from Panera, simply because I know it's made to the same high standards that I hold in my own kitchen. No preservatives, whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup. Just fresh, delicious bread.

My favorite meal at Panera, though, is Macaroni and Cheese and Tomato Soup. It's a warm, tasty meal - a little high in fat, but it's a splurge that I will gladly spend some extra time in the gym to work off. My oldest son and husband love the Power Breakfast sandwich and my kids flat out just like everything.

One other benefit that I'm a fan of is the My Panera card. It's a simple little keychain attachment that you swipe each time you purchase. After just a few swipes, you earn rewards. I've earned a smoothie, a pastry, and one memorable day, a free Mac and Cheese and Soup lunch.

Do you like Panera? What's your favorite item?