Not exactly what I was hoping for when I ordered a grilled cheese from Panera. The bread was so thick that the cheese wasn’t even melted. 🤣
Not exactly what I was hoping for when I ordered a grilled cheese from Panera. The bread was so thick that the cheese wasn’t even melted. 🤣
by Lijey_Cat
11 Comments
tacocollector2
It’s because they microwave it. Panera sucks.
MagazineDelicious151
Sad.
BlueProcess
I never order grilled cheese from restaurants. I have seen too many atrocities
bhay105
I’ve tried the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo there thinking $6.99 seemed like a good deal. I didn’t realizing I was buying HALF of a sandwich, which was cold and not grilled, and the small cup of soup wasn’t even full. Panera used to be great but I don’t think they ever recovered from covid times.
Jaxifur
Send it back.
GyspySyx
Panera makes the world’s worst grilled cheeses, as you have now discovered. Avoid.
LuckyCod2887
I hate when restaurants are irresponsible with grilled cheese. It’s a basic sandwich with heat applied to it. How can you fuck it up? well there’s always a corporate kitchen that figures out a way
MikeyboyMC
Panera is a joke. I can’t remember a single time I was satisfied with my meal, setting aside the fact that it’s ridiculously priced even if I was satisfied
RedOctober8752
Panera has gone to shit when the were purchased. We went and the sandwich we always got was 1/3 smaller and the meat was almost non-existent. Price had gone up. That did it for me, have not been back since. Appears from articles that they are in real financial trouble. These corps buy these places and just wreck them instead of dancing with what made them great.
North81Girl
I would never order a grilled cheese from anywhere as it’s literally the easiest thing to make myself
SocialChefMark
You know that sinking feeling when something you love starts tasting… off? I just watched this documentary about Panera, the moment an investment firm takes over, quality doesn’t just dip—it plummets. They gut the soul of the brand to squeeze out profits.
Panera got scooped up by JAB Holding back in 2017. Which is also the last year I ordered Panera.
Another brand I loved: Duke’s Mayonnaise (via its parent Sauer Brands) was just acquired in early 2025 by a different private equity giant, Advent International, from Falfurrias Capital Partners. The pattern holds no matter who’s signing the checks. That sharp, perfect tang? Vanished. It’s flatter now, like they skimped on the recipe to pad the bottom line.
The real tragedy? It’s happening everywhere these firms touch down.
11 Comments
It’s because they microwave it. Panera sucks.
Sad.
I never order grilled cheese from restaurants. I have seen too many atrocities
I’ve tried the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo there thinking $6.99 seemed like a good deal. I didn’t realizing I was buying HALF of a sandwich, which was cold and not grilled, and the small cup of soup wasn’t even full. Panera used to be great but I don’t think they ever recovered from covid times.
Send it back.
Panera makes the world’s worst grilled cheeses, as you have now discovered. Avoid.
I hate when restaurants are irresponsible with grilled cheese. It’s a basic sandwich with heat applied to it. How can you fuck it up? well there’s always a corporate kitchen that figures out a way
Panera is a joke. I can’t remember a single time I was satisfied with my meal, setting aside the fact that it’s ridiculously priced even if I was satisfied
Panera has gone to shit when the were purchased. We went and the sandwich we always got was 1/3 smaller and the meat was almost non-existent. Price had gone up. That did it for me, have not been back since. Appears from articles that they are in real financial trouble. These corps buy these places and just wreck them instead of dancing with what made them great.
I would never order a grilled cheese from anywhere as it’s literally the easiest thing to make myself
You know that sinking feeling when something you love starts tasting… off? I just watched this documentary about Panera, the moment an investment firm takes over, quality doesn’t just dip—it plummets. They gut the soul of the brand to squeeze out profits.
Panera got scooped up by JAB Holding back in 2017. Which is also the last year I ordered Panera.
Another brand I loved: Duke’s Mayonnaise (via its parent Sauer Brands) was just acquired in early 2025 by a different private equity giant, Advent International, from Falfurrias Capital Partners. The pattern holds no matter who’s signing the checks. That sharp, perfect tang? Vanished. It’s flatter now, like they skimped on the recipe to pad the bottom line.
The real tragedy? It’s happening everywhere these firms touch down.