"Whoever is in charge of operations here should be thoroughly embarrassed. I visited on a Saturday around 1 PM and placed an order using their kiosk, which promised a text notification when my food would be ready. Like other Panera locations, they have an electronic board to show the status of orders. However, I didn't see my name listed. After speaking with some other patrons, it became clear that their names were missing too, regardless of whether they ordered through the kiosk or at the counter. It seemed like the board was only showing orders made via the app.
As I looked around, I noticed that nearly every table was empty, and the number of people waiting at the pickup counter was increasing, visibly frustrating those waiting. I saw at least three different customers ask the staff about the status of their orders. It was clear that the staff was overwhelmed and not prepared for the lunchtime rush.
Once my wait time reached 30 minutes, I went to the register to request a refund. It took them a while to locate my order because so many orders had come in after mine, and I noticed a couple of other customers follow my lead and seek refunds as well.
This franchise location needs better management, more effective training, and likely additional staff during busy hours. If they expect longer than usual wait times, they should communicate that to their customers. In the end, I went across the street to Wendy's and received hot food within two minutes of placing my order."
