This Classic Cafe Chain Is Probably The Next To Go Out Of Business, Predicts Redditors

Stores and restaurants going out of business is a very normal thing. Changes in consumer preferences, supply chain issues, and dire financial restraints are all causes for this phenomenon — and rarely does it happen overnight. As such, customers are seemingly always on the lookout for chains that aren't doing well and hedging bets for which ones will go out of business next.

On one Reddit thread, users pointed to one chain in particular as being next to go: Panera Bread. When posed the question of which fast food restaurant will be next to go, one comment mentioning the cafe chain received a whopping 15,000 upvotes at the time of writing, and another racked up 21,000. Subsequent comments point to several different causes for this, though most of them center around rising prices with stable (if not downgrades) in quality. "They wanted like $9 for a cup of soup. A cup of soup that probably was warmed in a sealed plastic bag that was thawed from frozen," said one Reddit user. Another confirmed, "Yep, not a single thing is made on site at a Panera anymore. Ridiculous considering you can still have long wait times."

Panera is one of the chains that customers say isn't worth it anymore, but in fairness, they have been saying that for a very long time. Many customers miss the Panera Bread of yesteryear — and not just the prices. They report that Panera used to feel upscale, and now, it's equivalent to fast food. Redditors have shared all of the things that they miss about the good ol' Panera, which include better customer service, fan-favorite items that stuck around on the menu, and even music that was better. "They killed off in store bakers too, so the decline in the food quality is noticeable on so many levels," said one disgruntled Reddit user. Another on the same thread said, "I once heard Panera described as overpriced hospital food and I can't unsee it now," which is a sentiment more than one person has echoed. 

Panera has tried to save itself by adding new products to its menu and trying to bring customers back. But after noticeable flops in the past few years, including the Salad Stuffers, which we thought were as mediocre as expected, and its Charged Lemonades, which it discontinued after multiple wrongful death lawsuits, it's no surprise that customers aren't willing to give Panera a second shot. Maybe not everything you lose is a loss.