10 Things People Miss About Old-School Panera Bread

Let's not beat around the bush: Panera Bread has had a rough time of it lately. Even one-time loyal customers will probably agree that there are some things that you should just avoid ordering when you do go to Panera, and honestly, it's a surprisingly long list. That's not a great look for any restaurant, but it wasn't always this way.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to eat at the original Panera? Sure, a commitment to clean ingredients was always in the mission statement, but overall, things looked pretty different. Panera was a huge deal when it took off, occupying a unique spot that didn't see it going head-to-head with a competitor in the way that, say, McDonald's and Burger King square off. You'd think that would help set it up for lasting success, but more people seem to prefer the Panera of ye olde times than the Panera of today. So, what exactly happened?

Let's take a look at what's changed with the chain and what folks wish would come back. For those who remember old-school Panera, this might be a bit of a bummer. There are a lot of things that just aren't the same, and it just goes to show that change isn't always for the better.

Right, so let's just come out swinging with the thing that many, many Panera customers say was an incredibly bizarre and — let's be honest — asinine move. In spite of the fact that freshly-baked bread was a major draw that the chain built its popularity on, it was confirmed in early 2025 that, yes, in-store bread production was out, outside bakeries were in, and it's safe to say that the move had everyone scratching their collective heads. 

It's been an in-process sort of thing for a while, with Panera bakers taking to Reddit in years prior to post screenshots of termination letters. Reddit threads show disappointing photos of bakery goods, and other Reddit users didn't hold back about the new products. One wrote, "I'm done. Your baked goods are worse than I can make myself while your prices are as outrageous as ever. Adios." Another observed, "Bakers are literally the heart and soul ... and dare I say most important part of Panera ... they're doofuses fr for this."

Even Reddit users who hadn't heard about the switch have headed to the forum to ask why the bread tastes and looks different, while others complained about a major texture difference, particularly in the sourdough. And no, it's not good. One Reddit user even called it "literally hospital food." Some suggested the decision put a timer on how long Panera was going to be around, with some former employees noting they were grateful they got out while the gettin' was good.

Back in 2024, Tasting Table asked what the deal was with Panera's rewards program. It had become clear that Panera's new idea of rewards was offering a buck off a purchase, and let's put it this way: you know that look on your dog's face when you take a single cookie, break it into multiple pieces, and try to convince them they're getting lots of cookies? It's the same vibe, and we're not getting fooled, either. 

Reddit users agree, with entire threads lamenting the loss of a $1 bagel, free breakfast sandwiches, free soup, free drinks, and even free You Pick Two offers. Former employees say they were plentiful in the early days of the program, with one writing, "It quickly dwindled down to like, $1 off a coffee and basically worthless stuff like that since it's all overpriced [t]o begin with."

Hey, Panera? Let's talk, because the thing about a rewards program should feel like a reward. And it used to. Rewards like those free coffees you used to give away probably didn't cost much on the bottom line, but customers miss feeling that gratitude for their business. What they don't want to feel is that they're pretty much getting a measly discount on items that are already seen as over-priced, because it feels like a gimmick to get them to spend more money. That's the opposite of what a rewards program should be.

You get what you pay for, the old saying goes, but customers say that's not even the case at Panera anymore. Take our featured image: that's from a 2024 Reddit thread from a Panera customer in Columbus, Ohio. They posted that picture of a half sandwich, noting, "I realize it's tough out here, but prices have gone way up and quality and portions have come down so drastically. The lid of my soda was larger." Many responses agreed, with now former Panera customers saying that they've simply stopped going now that they've found it's no longer worth it. 

And that's far from the only instance of outrage. Meanwhile, other Reddit users took issue with the bread bowls in particular. Remember when they used to be legit bowls? Photos of a circa-2025 bread bowl had Reddit users confused if it was a bagel or part of a baguette. Gone, it seems, are the days of the big-as-your-head bread bowls. 

Teeny-tiny bagels have gotten called out as well, with a spirited debate about whether or not they're smaller or just not as carefully prepped and baked. Either way, it's not really a conversation that customers should need to have. Other Reddit threads condemn bowls filled about a third of the way with noodle-free soup, while another claimed that after they purchased a large drink, then transferred it to their Yeti cup, it was very noticeable that the amounts were no longer equal.

A strange thing has been happening to a number of brands in the 21st century, and if you look back, you'll see a number of fast food chains looked very different before they were given a more generic, modern remodel in the name of things like efficiency and tech. Reddit users have been complaining that the same thing is happening to Panera, with one person saying that after their local Panera was remodeled, it was giving off McDonald's vibes instead of the old-school, friendly coffeehouse feel that it used to. "I used to enjoy the quiet seating areas that felt cozy and comfortable," they wrote.

They went on to explain that the fireplace, benches, and comfortable seating areas had been replaced with wooden tables and chairs, and they're not alone. Other social media posts have mentioned Panera remodels removing those iconic fireplaces, and honestly, that's a shame. Panera used to be a fun place to go and meet up with friends — or perhaps just randomly meet some new ones in the communal seating areas.

Now? Not so much, and it led one Reddit user to claim, "They really discourage community." Others noted that the welcoming feeling was gone, and walking into a remodeled Panera was walking into a space where it was clear they wanted you to spend money, get your food, and make way for the next customer.

We all know that food prices are out of control, but back in 2020, Panera debuted an $8.99-a-month coffee subscription program. Then, things quickly escalated. Fast forward to 2022, and it was announced that Panera was going to be debuting the Sip Club subscription deal, and the price was going up to $10.99 a month. There was an important difference, though, as it was all self-service drinks.

So far, so good, but the price has continued to go up so often that we have to wonder if it's worth it for Panera to keep changing signage. After jumping to $11.99 a month, it hit $14.99 a month in 2024. It's also important to note there are a couple of caveats, starting with the fact that we noted there's quite a bit exempt from the Sip Club. That includes specialty drinks, cold brew, espresso, smoothies, seasonal frozen lemonades, cappuccino, and hot chocolate. So, there's that. Oh, and you'll only be able to get a drink once every two hours.

If you're thinking that customers have not been thrilled with the price increases, you'd be correct. In the Reddit thread "$14.99 a month is insane," one user wrote, "25% increase FYI. Not subtle." And that's only over the course of a few years! While some pointed out that there are occasionally codes that will lower the price for you, it's clear that plenty miss reasonably priced coffees and drinks.

While it's understandable that company policies change over times, Panera's changes so fast that it's giving us a serious case of whiplash. Back in 2017, Panera announced it had followed through on its promise to make a "100% clean" menu. It had gotten rid of things like artificial flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners, and there was a total of 96 ingredients that it had been working to remove from products. Panera was lauded for being strides ahead of other fast-food chains, and since we're talking about it, you can probably guess how this is going to go. 

Just seven years later, Reuters was reporting Panera had backtracked. As of 2024, policies regarding meat in particular had changed: Antibiotic use was now okay, and so was sourcing beef and chicken from producers who fed their animals non-vegetarian feed. Also gone were requirements that animals needed to be pasture-raised, with guarantees of hormone-free meat also quietly disappearing. The move, which initially included other unspecified changes, was estimated to save the company $21 million a year.

People definitely noticed and definitely weren't happy, with thoughts being summed up quite succinctly by a Reddit user who wrote, "Make the food crappier and more expensive is the new wave." Cynical, for sure, but not alone. Another Reddit user observed, "I swear, this is a rush to the bottom in terms of how much corporations can strip away and how high they can pump the cost."

When you walk into any store or restaurant, there's an atmosphere. You can tell when employees are happy and feel as though they're valued, appreciated, and fairly compensated, but you can also tell when the opposite is true. As far back as 2013, bloggers were calling out Panera for experiences with employees who were rude, confrontational, and helming an unsettlingly dirty restaurant.

While it might be possible to write off one or even a few reports as bad experiences on bad days, we'd also like to add that at the time of this writing, Panera has a Trustpilot rating of 1.8. And there are a ton of customer service complaints, from not receiving food and being refunded less than what was paid to a lack of cleanliness and accusations of employees talking openly about customers. One review titled "Yearning for the past business model" lamented the disappearance of friendly staff, freshly baked goods, and non-sticky floors.

In all fairness, a Panera complaints mega thread on Reddit is filled with the employee side of things, and it's heartbreaking stuff. Reddit users write things like, "Panera treats its staff like garbage," "Omg I had a breakdown at work tonight," and from an 8-year employee, "Just overall depressing to watch corporate be this greedy." It all indicates that sometimes, days past really were better. 

Panera touted its commitment to clean ingredients and responsible sourcing for a while, and we all know how that's going. Loosening standards has led to a decline in quality, and given that Panera has long tried to position itself as a "better" alternative to other fast-food chains, that's weird.

Let's take just one Reddit thread from 2021, where a Panera critic wrote, "For years they've been steadily declining in quality to the point that I can no longer find anything on the menu that I enjoy." They called out the soups and condemned the loss of the fresh-tasting items that they were so well-known for so long, and they weren't the only critic. Another complained of being served a frozen chicken frontega (then being told to microwave it themselves), while one refrigeration tech that contracted with Panera asked why anyone went there when the food was so bad these days. Customers share photos of misshapen bagels, while others complain about short straws, a lack of to-go boxes, and drink lids that don't have the sizes labeled. 

Some Reddit threads put the blame on corporate, calling out 2017 as the year Panera's shift became the most noticeable. That's when German firm JAB bought the chain for $7.5 billion, and that sentiment got a lot of support. That includes a comment from one person who wrote, "That makes a lot of sense. Because that's exactly when I remember it turning to s***."

Change is inevitable; that's just a fact of life. While we'd love to say something encouraging and optimistic here, honestly, it's been a rough few years for everyone, we're super tired, and we've got nothing — especially considering that's true even of everyone's once-favorite bread-and-soup chain. There are a number of discontinued Panera menu items that we wish would come back ... but we're not holding our breath, and neither should you. There were once things like the Crispani flatbread pizzas, the broccoli cheddar mac and cheese, and do you remember the chocolate chip bagels? We do, and we're still salty about that one.

We're also not alone in not being overly thrilled with Panera's menu changes, and Reddit users have lamented the loss of things like the original Italian sandwich, the Sierra turkey sandwich, frozen mochas, the Thai chicken salad, any of the flatbreads, pumpkin muffins, and, honestly, the list goes on and on. Not only are there so many people who have had their favorites removed, but replacement items get pretty regularly lambasted, too. 

We will give some customers points for dogged determination, though: When one Reddit user mourned the loss of the baked potato soup, another responded, "It feels like every couple of days I'm like, 'Nah, we haven't had that soup for literal years.'" And some go even further, saying that they miss everything that was on the menu before it got overhauled to adhere to the chain's clean-ingredient initiative.

Reddit can be a wonderful place, and sometimes we'll come across a post that makes us belly laugh. That was the case with one Reddit thread titled "I believe Panera has deliberately engineered the worst playlist ever imaginable," which kicked off with a tirade about terrible music, terrible songs, and lyrics that echo AI drivel. Others chimed in, including one person who wrote, "Sometimes ... I feel like many minutes have passed, but ... it's still the same two chords that were playing 37 minutes ago."

It wasn't always like that, with others suggesting that they really miss the classical music that used to be played. Back in 2014, one classical music blogger said they had spoken to Panera and confirmed the policy was smooth jazz or classical music, to help create the kind of chill ambience they were going for. Ah, the good ol' days.

That seems to have switched in 2022. VP of brand marketing, Drayton Martin, spoke with Marketing Brew about how Panera was changing music with its identity, and phrases like "the audio and the visual stimulation" and "that spirit of exciting anticipation" were used. Reddit makes it clear that customers aren't all fans of Panera's new sound. In one thread asking where the music came from, one upvoted response simply said, "I thought it was just whatever was free."