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Post by katlady on May 13, 2016 16:04:52 GMT
i think I've seen it mentioned on here before that at Panera you take your own food to your table.
I've only been to the Paneras in So. Cal., but here, you order at the counter, you get a number, find a table, sit down, and someone brings you your order. They also clean up your table afterwards. On the little number card there is even a message to NOT tip.
What area of the U.S. do you live in and how is your order handled at Panera?
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MorningPerson
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,504
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Jul 4, 2014 21:35:44 GMT
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Post by MorningPerson on May 13, 2016 16:06:54 GMT
I've been to many different locations in Pennsylvania, in addition to some in North Carolina. I've never had them bring our food or clear our tables.
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Post by boatymcboatface on May 13, 2016 16:11:17 GMT
We have about 8 I can think of near us, in Colorado none of them being your food to the table or bus for you. You get a buzzer and get your food off the counter and put your trays in the station, I really don't like that last part having to sort out trash, tray, bowl and silverware. One of them installed self serve kiosks but set them up so you needed your panera card to swipe, not enter your phone number, so nobody uses the kiosks.
One of them is really nice and new and one is just junky and woern out and the rest are somewhere in between.
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Post by lbp on May 13, 2016 16:15:09 GMT
We have 2 and you take your own food to your table and clean up after yourself. I usually like Panera but they are no longer selling my favorite Chicken Chipotle Sandwich so I don't go that often.
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Post by PolarGreen12 on May 13, 2016 16:16:54 GMT
I'm in Oklahoma and here they give you a number and they bring your food to your table.
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Post by scrapsuzy on May 13, 2016 16:17:12 GMT
I've only been to Paneras that you take your own food to the table and your refuse to the trash.
However, I've been to some Chick-fil-As that will bring your food to the table and clear it for you also (with no tipping.)
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on May 13, 2016 16:17:36 GMT
If the food isn't already made, they bring it to you. Ditto the coffee. They also bus the table after you leave.
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Post by Amelia Bedelia on May 13, 2016 16:19:38 GMT
I'm in NorCal. The standard is to wait for your food and take it to the table yourself. They have the little buzzer things to let you know when your order is ready. Sometimes if they're not too busy they'll just bring the food out. I can't remember if they have numbers for that or not. But I know I've had food brought to our table and I've seen employees walking around with trays of food and searching expressions on their faces. I bus my own table but if anyone is cleaning in the dining area they always offer to take our empty dishes for us.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 3, 2024 12:08:37 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2016 16:28:33 GMT
I"m in NY and it used to be that you would have a pager and go grab it from a counter. Last week though they had changed to giving you a number and bringing it to your table. maybe they are all changing over?
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Post by myshelly on May 13, 2016 16:33:37 GMT
I'm in Texas.
Food is brought to me at my table by an employee and I do not clear my own table.
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Post by padresfan619 on May 13, 2016 16:35:23 GMT
Southern California. Food is brought to me and if I wanted to I could leave my table with stuff on it, but I usually take care of it myself. I'm also the type to stack plates at restaurants to make it easier on the staff.
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Post by sphmaz on May 13, 2016 16:38:04 GMT
In CT. There are two I go to, one where I work and one where I live, and neither have ever brought the food to me. Once in a blue moon someone MAY take my dishes from the table if they happen to be walking by or stopping to ask how service/food was.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on May 13, 2016 16:40:27 GMT
We have the buzzer too but they use it to find us, not to notify us to come to the counter.
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Post by alexa11 on May 13, 2016 16:42:20 GMT
I'm in SC and they do the buzzer thing-you go to counter and pick up food. Sometimes an employee will come by and clean your table as you're finishing. Otherwise, you do it yourself.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on May 13, 2016 16:48:15 GMT
We have the buzzer too but they use it to find us, not to notify us to come to the counter. Ours, too. Both local Paneras are very new stores, so they are probably up with new Panera trends.
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Post by melanell on May 13, 2016 16:50:02 GMT
I've been to probably 5 or so different Panera locations across PA and none of them brought your food to you. You get a buzzer and find a seat. When the buzzer goes off, you get your food. When you are done there are places set up for you to deposit your flatware, bowls & plates, trays, and trash at various spots within the restaurant.
The only exception to this was once when we ordered a flatbread pizza type thing, which took longer. We picked up all of our food except for that, and they told us they'd bring the pizza over when it was ready so that we wouldn't be interrupted while we were already eating.
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Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,643
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on May 13, 2016 16:53:05 GMT
Kansas. You pick up your own order and you bus your own table. Now I feel cheated! I have had employees walk by and offer to dump my trash for me, though, depending on how busy they are.
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Post by bratkar on May 13, 2016 17:14:55 GMT
Northeast Ohio. Two near me, do completely different things. One will bring your food to you when its ready, but you take the tray and plates up when your done. Other one, you get the buzzer and wait for your food and get it yourself. And clean your own table. I think the one that brings your food to you, does it in an effort to get people away from waiting at the delivery station, even with buzzers some people just WONT sit down and wait.
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Post by cade387 on May 13, 2016 17:16:44 GMT
I'm in SC and they do the buzzer thing-you go to counter and pick up food. Sometimes an employee will come by and clean your table as you're finishing. Otherwise, you do it yourself. I'm in MI, but otherwise
Interestingly, I go to SoCal for work (LA - South Bay Area) and I have been to several Paneras there and they all have you pick up your own food at the counter.
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psiluvu
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,217
Location: Canada's Capital
Jun 25, 2014 22:52:26 GMT
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Post by psiluvu on May 13, 2016 17:27:56 GMT
We have the buzzer too but they use it to find us, not to notify us to come to the counter. Ottawa Canada here. We only have one here and they bring the food and clear the table
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
Jun 25, 2014 20:45:00 GMT
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Post by melissa on May 13, 2016 17:35:40 GMT
I'm in NJ, between NYC and Philly.
The Panera restaurants in this area have been converting. Some still have you bring your own food to your table, but those that have renovated, now bring it to the table and clear the table as well. I have found that those that have made the change have a higher level of customer service in general. The employees are actually doing more work but seem much more pleasant and happy. They also install kiosks where you can place your own order and pay yourself. I also like that better because you can see all the options available for a meal and can remove or add things. You can also easily see what is actually in a specific salad, something I very much appreciate.
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Post by debmast on May 13, 2016 17:38:23 GMT
In Texas. Usually they bring food to table, but occasionally we get a pager and pick it up at counter. Never clear our own table.
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Post by lisacharlotte on May 13, 2016 17:41:08 GMT
I live in Nebraska and have been to Panera in NE, Iowa and Chicago. All have a buzzer that you put on the table and they bring the food to the buzzer. Ready to eat items (bagels, desserts, coffee) they make and hand to you at the register. I've always bussed my own table. Not sure if it's expected.
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Julie W
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,209
Jun 27, 2014 22:11:06 GMT
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Post by Julie W on May 13, 2016 18:15:33 GMT
Twin Cities: pick up your food sometimes involving a buzzer. Usually you bus your table, however there are locations where people will walk through cleaning up at times.
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janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633
Jun 26, 2014 14:35:07 GMT
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Post by janeliz on May 13, 2016 18:26:24 GMT
I'm in the southeast, and they've switched their process around a few times. Right now you order at the register and get a little beeper that notifies you when your order is ready. I can think of times, though, when they took my name and I had to linger around the food counter waiting for my name to be called.
ETA: I've seen the occasional bussing of a table, but people at my Panera usually carry their dishes and trash to the garbage can as they're leaving.
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Post by cmpeter on May 13, 2016 18:31:16 GMT
WA
Ours used to give us a buzzer and we would pick up our own food at the counter. A year or so ago they changed and now bring the food to you at your table.
It's mostly bus your own tables. But, if it's slow or they have the staff, they will come by an ask if they can take your dishes.
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Post by bc2ca on May 13, 2016 18:44:24 GMT
The ones I have been to in SoCal give us a number for the table and bring the food to us. They also bus the tables.
I've always eaten in, so haven't paid attention to whether people with to-go orders get numbers in the same way. The tables are all used by people eating in, not by anyone waiting for a to-go order.
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Post by katlady on May 13, 2016 18:54:06 GMT
My local Panera doesn't even have an area to take your dirty dishes/trays. The only big trash can is usually one by the door, but no place next to it to deposit dishes/tray. I don't even try to bus my own table.
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Post by just PEAchy on May 13, 2016 19:24:40 GMT
I'm in Indiana and here you pick up your food and clear the table. It's one of the reasons I much prefer McAllisters Deli, plus the food is much better and cheaper.
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Post by Zee on May 13, 2016 20:49:06 GMT
I live in Nebraska and have been to Panera in NE, Iowa and Chicago. All have a buzzer that you put on the table and they bring the food to the buzzer. Ready to eat items (bagels, desserts, coffee) they make and hand to you at the register. I've always bussed my own table. Not sure if it's expected. WHAT! I've been to Paneras in IA, IL (Chicago included), OH, WI, PA, MD, and VA and never once had my food brought to me! And I've always had to bus my own table. Some use the buzzer, some just yell your name.
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