I love Panera. My entire family loves Panera. The soups, sandwiches, the salads--even the cookies and bagels--are all tremendous. So, why can't I give the Panera nearest to my home more than three stars?
Where do I begin? Maybe I begin with the fact that the management of this location has gone so far downhill in the past 6 months. There's always something wrong with our order. It can be no other way. They short me on the soup. They run out of baguettes--at 6:45 in the evening. They don't put chicken on my daughter's CHICKEN Caesar Salad. I could go on and on... Suffice to say, there is a management issue. The workers seem overwhelmed and the manager doesn't seem terribly accommodating.
Maybe I should give them 2 stars but, as I said, I love Panera. When Panera is doing Panera things right, it's wonderful food. Perhaps I can recommend the Panera at Waterdam Plaza again at some point. At the moment, the best I can do is tell you that a) Panera is excellent, and, b) THIS Panera leaves a lot to be desired.