1157.007
Project Two First Draft
Audience: This is for UNO students entirely unfamiliar with New Orleans and UNO who are looking for a place to eat or study.
Panera Bread: a Great Place for College Kids
Coffee shops today have become a place for socializing and studying along with eating. It is common to see student’s interacting with each other after their classes at cafeterias’. One might even find a professor studying or preparing for his next lecture in a quiet corner of a café. Eating joints have become second home for students who want to be with friends or study while eating. Cafeterias have separate healthy menus for students at very economic prices. If you are looking for a place to eat or even to study, Panera Bread, located at 4848 Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, is a great place for you to go and check out. Panera offers very tasty food that is not only good for you, but good for your wallet as well. Panera is also a coffee shop which is great if you are not in the mood for just food. This coffee shop environment allows you to grab a cup of coffee and study in one of the many rooms offered to you.
Panera Bread is famous for their freshly baked bread. Because of the name Panera Bread, most people who have not been to a Panera think that they only sell bread. However, those people do not know it is a café that offers a variety of foods. When walking into Panera, there is a large menu placed on the wall above where you order. The menu is broken down into categories including, soups, salads, pastas, sandwiches, flatbreads, and Paninis.
Panera offers a variety of food from breakfast to diner and even pot dinner for late night studies .The aroma of freshly baked bread, bagels and pastries are tempting enough to stop a passerby. The health quotient is never ignored at Panera. In a few other restaurants that I have been to, I have noticed that there was a downside to the size or the taste of the food. If the food was very good I noticed the amount of food I was getting was a lot smaller than I would have like. Also, in a few restaurants I have received a large amount of the food but the taste was disappointing. What is so great about Panera is that you do not have to worry about either problem. The food is always plentiful and the quality of the food is great. Every time I have eaten at Panera the food has always filled me up and sometimes I had left over’s to take home. Each time I have been well fed and happy with how great the food was.
The healthy salads with fresh vegetables are a treat for the eyes and the stomach. The soups are always hot and full of flavor. I love the corn chowder; you can taste the red peppers and garlic that swim around in the thick creamy soup mixed with the corn and potatoes. I also love getting the salads. You will not be disappointed in the size of them. They are packed full of ingredient and flavor. A great salad is the strawberry chicken and popeyed seeded salad which consists of: romaine lettuce, pineapples, strawberries, mandarin oranges, blueberries, pecans, chicken and a popeyed seed dressing. This salad is sweet as you bite into the fresh fruit that is mixed with the perfect amount of salty from the pecans and chicken. Another great thing that I like is that all of the cold sandwiches, by request, can be turned into a hot Panini. A sandwich that I like to get heated on the press is the Chicken Caesar. The melted asiago cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and ceaesar dressing all put between the fresh, toasted, asiago bread is a mouthwatering combination. So far I have not been disappointed buy any of the food I have had at Panera Bread.
Another thing about Panera is that not only does the food taste great; it is also good for you as well. Next to each menu item they list size options such as a cup or bowl for a soup or pasta and also a half or whole size of a sandwich, Panini, salad, or flatbread. The menu clearly mentions about the calorie information for each dish. This is very important for a health freak and a foodie like me. It helps me in deciding what to have and at what time. Healthy and nutritious food is very essential for students. The calorie count keeps the body health clock in tune. It often helps me in deciding between two items because of the difference in the calories. Panera is big on portion control and making sure to serve delicious food with small amounts of carbohydrates and calories. For example, most meals you get at Panera are less than five hundred calories such as a whole chipotle chicken Panini with chips and drink. Some meals can even be under two hundred. For example, a cup of chicken noodle soup and a Caesar salad are only eighty calories each. This is great for college students to help maintain a healthy weight and also for students who might be worrying about the “freshman fifteen.”
Also, eating healthy food does not have to break the bank. At Panera it is very affordable. A great option is the pick two. With this option, you are able to choose two menu items along with a side for as low as six dollars and ninety nine cents. The most I have ever paid for a meal at Panera was just over ten dollars, but for this price I had a meal, a side and a drink. The food quality and prices at Panera have many satisfied and regular customers.
The economy factor is an important deciding factor for students. Panera caters to that need too. One can save money with a Mypanera card. This free rewards card is very helpful. One time I had a free bowl of soup and other times I have had free drinks and even a few dollars off of my purchase. This free Mypanera card is great and all you have to do to get one is just as a Panera Bread employee. It’s a card that rewards loyal abs special customers on a regular basis. Besides being a café, Panera Bread is also a coffee and smoothie shop. The coffee shop environment makes Panera a great place to study. Just as the food options, the coffees are very affordable as well. A latte is around three dollars and the smoothies are around four dollars. Another great things about the coffee shop, is the coffee bar. This coffee bar has light roast, dark roast, decaffeinated and hazelnut all hot and also iced coffee that is brewed fresh each hour. This is my favorite because for a dollar and seventy nine cents you can get as many cups of coffee has you want. It’s a home away from home kitchen. Panera understands that each person has a different taste, especially for coffee. One can prepare his own coffee too. The coffee bar has free refills and is self-served so you can make your coffee exactly how you want it.
The coffee bar is located by the first room which is my favorite room. I like this room because of the fact of how close the coffee bar is; I also I love being so close to the rich and fresh coffee smell. Panera’s dining room has different sections which allow you to choose the environment you feel more comfortable studying in. All of the rooms are similar with a few exceptions. Each of the rooms has many outlets by almost every table for you to plug in your electronic devices needed for studying and doing homework. All of the rooms play the same music; however, the music is quietest in the back room. In the middle is big open room which is always a little bit louder than the others and usually more crowded.
What more can a student ask for; excellent food, soothing music and great ambience. All this is available at one place, Panera. Last is the outside seating. This place is particularly apt for those students who do not want to be disturbed and enjoy studying under the sky and amidst nature. This is great on a pretty day or night. The lights set up outside are every bright which makes reading very easy. Respecting the students privacy the open area does not have an outlet.
The last thing is the service. Not only is the service fast, the employees are very nice as well. Panera has a warm and friendly feeling when you walk in the doors. As soon as you walk in you are greeted; whether it be a “hi welcome to Panera” or even “hey how are you doing today.” Each employee at this Panera wants to make you feel welcome and that you have had the best experience that they could possibly give you.
As an example, Jenn, an employee said “The fact that this concept was available to the people who brought in regular customers. Helping them enjoy their experience as an everyday oasis away from home was a key to make every day a success. Learning how to please each and every person no matter what they needed. It was important to the Panera team to satisfy each and every guest.”
Panera besides being a food lover’s paradise is also doing its share for charity and social service. It offers healthy bowls of soup for those are hungry and needy. The Panera gift card can be bought at a discounted price by nonprofit organizations and then resold at full price. The amount collected goes for feeding the needy with a warm and affectionate smile. It’s definitely a great place to start your day ad even end it on a tasty and healthy note
I really encourage college students to come and visit Panera Bread. Panera will take care of your taste buds and keep you full with all the amazing food they have to offer. You can help make healthy choices here while saving money. You can also relax or study while drinking a cup of their coffee while enjoying the friendly service. Overall, Panera Bread is a great experience. As we all know that a lot happens over food. The sight of people enjoying conversations and discussions everyday is enough to attract people to Panera. It’s a place where informal meetings take place, a welcome change from the closed door and boring conferences.
Bibliography
- Mandella, Paixao. Jessica. “Employees of Panera.” 2014. JEPG file.
- Mandella, Paixao. Jessica. “Panera Bread Food.” 2014. JEPG file.
- Mandella, Paixao. Jessica. “Panera Dining Room.” 2014. JEPG file.
- Glassdoor. “Panera Bread Reviews.” October 3, 2014. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.Retrieved from.
https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/home.html
