Will you continue to eat at Panera? A poll... (Oakland: food, health)

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by WINDCHIMES

The soup comes in plastic bags? Really? Oh, that isn't good. I thought all their soups were homemade?

I'm pretty sure they, like many multi-outlet food service establishments, consider it homemade even when one central/regional kitchen makes stuff and distributes to the final point of sale. Plastic bags or otherwise, you gotta bulk package it somehow.

[WINDCHIMES]

That is good to know...that's for letting me know! I just had their chicken noodle soup today and it was so good...I love their food, a bit too much!

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by scrapp

From what I've read, the guy who started this law suit only did so after he was "denied extra medical leave" and "fired in September after having double hip replacement surgery earlier this year" (according to WTAE).

If he really cared about race/gender issues, why did he wait until after he was fired after surgery to raise them? Makes me wonder if this is more about retaliation for being fired than race/gender. The timing of this looks fishy to me.

That's why I am confident there will be no issue and hasn't been in the past. When situations like that don't work out, what's the first thing people do? Cry racism or discrimination. Everyone cries rebellion when Panera hasn't been convicted of a damn thing. Its easy to play to the emotion of racism, but get your facts straight.

[WINDCHIMES]

Sounds like to me someone wanted payback and got it too!

[greg42]

If people had their facts straight, there would be no need for message boards at all, would there?

[escilade18]

Originally Posted by PeeAye Native

I'm pretty sure they, like many multi-outlet food service establishments, consider it homemade even when one central/regional kitchen makes stuff and distributes to the final point of sale. Plastic bags or otherwise, you gotta bulk package it somehow.

not every place is like that. Wendys makes the chili in the kitchen (although given the ingredients are canned, it is not pre-assembled.) I assumed that Panera would be similar

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by escilade18

not every place is like that. Wendys makes the chili in the kitchen (although given the ingredients are canned, it is not pre-assembled.) I assumed that Panera would be similar

Per their website and ads, they bake their bread at each store. For the record that does not mean they measure and mix the ingredients for the bread at each store, although they might and you just never see it. Based on the looks of a typical store (no weighing or mixing equipment) I doubt it.

I know some insights about how the 'supply chain' works in this industry. Economies of scale drive a lot of it, and it actually works pretty efficiently. Even the bakeries and delis in grocery stores do it this way -- many things are done centrally.

Compare the tastes of Panera's soups and Wendy's chile, you can tell Wendy's stuff comes from cans. Based on taste, I'll guess Panera's does not, and their nutrition info and ingredients (paneranutrition.com) backs that up.

[PeterRabbit]

I don't care for bread so I've never eaten there.

[WINDCHIMES]

I have a large salad with a small whole wheat roll almost everytime I eat there (at least once a week if not more), I lost about 50 pounds in the last year too

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by raubre

They got the idea from pet stores, that's how kids bring home goldfish.

J/k

LOL!! BTW- Their 'Goldfish Du Jour' is delicious-you'll have to try it!