EO
Edeny Oronia
Aug 21, 2026
I’m writing to bring attention to an extremely disappointing experience I had with one of your Panera locations regarding a catering order.
When I placed my order online, I was given the option to select **café pickup or drive-through pickup**. I specifically selected drive-through pickup. I understand that I was running late to pick up the order, and I take responsibility for that. However, being late does not excuse the way I was treated by the manager—or whoever was assisting me.
When I arrived and attempted to pick up my order through the drive-through, I was informed that I could **not pick up my catering order through the drive-through and would have to come inside**. The way this was communicated to me was incredibly rude and condescending. If drive-through pickup was not actually available for a catering order, then the online ordering system should not have presented it as an option in the first place. I should not have to deal with an employee's frustration over a system that allowed me to select that option.
The interaction only became worse once I came inside. The employee continued speaking to me in an extremely rude and disrespectful manner, essentially lecturing me about being late and about the phone number associated with my order. I understand that they may have attempted to contact me, and I understand that my order was being picked up later than expected. However, there is a professional and respectful way to communicate that to a customer. I had already **paid approximately $80 for this catering order**, and I was still a paying customer who deserved basic courtesy.
On top of that, there was another issue with how my order was packaged. I specifically requested that the items be separated into **five individual orders/boxes** because they were intended for five separate people. Instead, the items were all placed together in the same box, completely ignoring my request.
What made this even more frustrating was that these items are sold in the same type of individual boxes I had specifically requested. When I brought this up, instead of trying to help resolve the issue, I was essentially told by the employee that **that was my problem to deal with and not hers**.
That response was completely unacceptable.
I did not walk into the restaurant asking for something unreasonable. I placed a catering order, paid for it, selected the pickup option that your online system provided, and clearly communicated how I wanted the order packaged. I expected the order to be prepared according to those instructions and expected to be treated with basic respect when picking it up.
Instead, I was made to feel like I was an inconvenience.
I understand that employees have stressful days and that catering orders can be complicated. What I do not understand is why a paying customer should be spoken to disrespectfully and dismissed when there are issues with an order. **Being late does not give an employee permission to belittle a customer, and a customer asking for their paid order to be packaged as requested should not be treated like a burden.**
This was easily one of the **worst experiences I have ever had at Panera**, and it has genuinely made me question whether I want to continue giving this company my business. If I wanted to be treated like my business didn't matter, I could have gone somewhere else.
I am asking that this complaint be escalated and that someone from corporate or the appropriate management team review this incident, including the way the employee handled the pickup, the drive-through issue, and the failure to follow my packaging instructions.
I would appreciate an actual response regarding this situation rather than a generic apology. I want to know that this type of customer treatment is being addressed, because no customer should spend nearly $80 on a catering order and leave feeling disrespected and dismissed.