First issue is that I used the self-service kiosk and drink cups were unavailable. Asked the cashier for assistance and was told there should be some "over there" the roughly 66% of the restaurant she was gesturing toward. I eventually found some by pilfering through the cabinets, which brings me to the second issue: cafe was a mess, the drink station was sticky, drinks spilled everywhere, cabinet doors had a sticky residue, items were haphazardly placed likely due to everyone being forced into a self-service situation. The dish stations were stacked high with dirty plates. Oh, and the issues did not stop there, our order was never called when it was complete, so it sat there for basically 30 minutes while we waited patiently. I finally went to ask about the status the large woman behind the counter snapped at me about being short staffed without even offer apology for lack of communication. After all of this there were several times missing from my order like the chips, French bread, and juice for the kid's meal. This store seems to have some serious management and morale issues. read more

This is a great Panera Location. Easy on/off the freeway in the Willows Shopping Center. Huge inside, lots of seating. Our food and coffee were good. No complaints. read more

This place is hoppin busy every lunch hour. They have a good selection of lunch staples, but I personally think their sandwiches are overpriced based on the size. I do however, love their soups. Potato bacon, french onion, broccoli cheddar..you just can't go wrong. My ultimate favorite is the chicken and wild rice soup. Seriously...it's to die for. A bowl of that will run you about $5, and comes with your choice of: slice of french bread (or multigrain bread), a bag of potato chips, or an apple. If that isn't a perfect lunch, I don't know what is. Thei chai lattes, cinnamon crunch bagel, and their breakfast sandwiches are must trys. read more

Panera Bread - Tropical hibiscus tea - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

I heart Panera so much! This Panera in particular - tucked away in the Willows Shopping Center, in the middle of everything and yet still intimate and special. Every meal I've enjoyed from this location, I have enjoyed alone. When the day is right, I grab a table near a window, order up some comfort food, and enjoy the magic of a quiet moment in a crowded room. I don't know how it works - it just does. The day Tom Petty died, I sat at a window table and enjoyed a bowl of tomato soup paired up with mac & cheese. On a cool somber evening, it was a perfect pairing. As I dined, Learning to Fly came on the radio. And so I didn't really dine alone that night, did I? Back in January, I swooped in after talking to a friend who works in the center about the sheer joy she had been experiencing lately, in the middle of our torrential rainy season, thanks to a bowl of tomato soup paired up with a grilled cheese. And as it rained outside, I again grabbed a window table, and dined on pure comfort and joy. I've never been let down by this Panera location. Maybe I'm lucky to have this soulful connection with this establishment, but I'll take it. This location, and all other Paneras I've been to, are paragons of fast casual dining. Everything feels fresh, everything is delicious, and even when something goes amiss they handle it quickly and properly, and as their receipt says give you a treat for your trouble. I would never have met the GLORY of their cherry pastry if I hadn't accidentally found someone else's soup in my takeout bag one day. The very happiest of accidents. I look forward to returning, as I always look forward to life's comforts. Thank you for taking such good care of my soul, Panera! read more

Panera Bread - Pick 2: Mac & cheese, with tomato soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

I need to make this my regular Panera spot because the one in Pittsburg isn't all that great. It's always clean here. and busy, which means they're doing something right. Bathroom are usually clean which is a plus. Service is always good here and have never really had a negative incident. They're good about getting your order correct too. and When I do go here and I'm missing something from my salad, they always give what's missing unlike the Pittsburg location where they throw an attitude about your order being incorrect. :) Kudos to this location. read more

Seems like the A Team must be helping out at the new Concord/Clayton store leaving the B team at the Willows. Ordering and receiving my dine-in lunch was nothing short of a fiasco. Very chaotic. read more

12/14/2020 at 6:45pm...Their website shows closes at 7:30pm, there was a paper sign on the door they are only open 9am-1:00pm now. Wonder if they will go out of business, super bummed, best salads. read more

Panera Bread - Lettuce stump - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

PRICE: 5/5 FOOD: 5/5 SERVICE: 5/5 AMBIENCE: 4/5 RESTROOM: 5/5 I really love Panera. I always have a great experience. read more

Panera Bread - Free bagel. - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

Besides the fact that they are super expensive, I love that place. It's really cozy and really fast to get lunch, you don't need to wait in line for too long, and the food looks super fresh and taste amazing. Super recommended read more

I placed a mobile order at 2:15 for a half Caesar salad and chicken noodle soup with a drink for a rapid curb side pick up. 30 min of waiting and my order was still not ready. I called and the phone rang and rang then someone picked up and hung up. So I called again...and the same thing happened. They answered then hung up. So I put my mask on and walked in and waited in line to speak with someone. By the time I am able to speak with someone I've been already waiting for 50 min for my small order. Stephanie goes to get my order which has obviously been sitting out for almost an hour because the drink is completely watered down with 2 small ice cubes left. Stephanie says "well we are really busy and are doing the best we can, do you want your order or not?" I look in the bags and find the soup missing and no lemon slice that I had requested. She rolls her eyes and 5 min later comes back with it. So 1 hour later I finally get my half salad and cup of soup. The salad dressing comes in a small container which was only filled 1/4 so my salad had almost no dressing. Horrible food quality and horrible customer service. No apology was ever uttered by Stephanie who claims to be the manager. Terrible! read more

I have been going to Panera Bread in the Willows Shopping Center since it opened several years ago. (Hard to believe I have never reviewed it!?) My first encounter with Panera was in Illinois, so I was very excited when it expanded to California. In the early days, this Panera location was a five-star experience for me. Now there are more good nearby options, but Panera is still a solid choice for an "order at the counter" restaurant. The morning pastries fill my sweet tooth at a reasonable price. They are much better than grocery store fare or Starbucks, but not as good as an upscale bakery like Model Bakery in St. Helena. The coffee does not stand up to Peet's or even Starbucks, but it is adequate. I favor the "you pick two" option for lunch. The autumn squash soup is delicious, and I wish it were available year round. My other "go to" soups are the black bean, creamy tomato, or summer corn chowder -- all three vegetarian. Also the cream of chicken and wild rice is very tasty. A good "comfort food" during chilly weather. In the past, I favored the Fuji apple salad with chicken, now I have discovered the modern Greek salad with quinoa as well as the southwest chili lime ranch salad with chicken. If I don't order a salad, I usually pick the Mediterranean veggie which comes on tomato bread! Unfortunately, the ham and Swiss is no longer served on rye. Disappointing. Panera is typically very busy during the noon hour. Recently DH and I decided we would try Panera for an early dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to find plenty of seating options. We got a booth which is our preference. Also the noise level was low and the experience felt less rushed than during the noon hour. The Panera rewards program is quite good. Everything from a dollar off a pastry to a free bagel every day for a month. In the past, my work schedule/location meant I visited this Panera at least three or four times a week. I have always found the staff members to to be friendly and helpful. While I am no longer recognized as a regular, I still find the service to be good. And on the rare occasion when it has been a bit sup-par, the problem has been noted and corrected. read more

I like it very much. healthy food. the staff is help, friendly. I love ordering soups and sandwiches combo read more

Panera Bread - Panera open - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

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The line to get to the one register with a person taking orders instead of using a kiosk moved at a snail's pace. I would have used a kiosk, but it wasn't working and there wasn't a sign warning patrons of that. I discovered it after trying to use it. Management should have posted a sign on the non-operational kiosks and placed additional staff working at the counter. read more

Sometimes you expect not to like something and then after you break out your regular routine and give that thing a try, you then realise...."Hey" that wasn't so bad! But when you happen to be a sucker for baked goods and such...."YIKES" but you do it anyway and you feel happy. Panera Bread is chaging the way people eat baked goods in my opinion by offering familiar treats to the consumer, yet bringing in something new. That's how I look at it at least and here is my review.... September 19, 2016 Monday - 6:05 a.m. for a early snack, One Security Guard (Me) Atmosphere - 5/5 Food - 4/5 Service - 4/5 Background - Everymore after I finish my round of scans I end up here for the last one. The yummy smells is the first thing I notice. So I stepped in. Atmosphere - Indoor and outdoor accommodations (unless rain happens then just indoor) plenty of options from tables, booths or patio seating with umbrellas to block the sun on those bright sunny days. Food: I've tried a few things, muffins (the blueberry is bomb!) the cobblestone (a cinnamon roll..muffin!) the apple muffin (it has sliced apples in it!) cookies (Oatmeal, Sneakerdoodle, Pumpkin Shape) and one breakfast sandwinch so far (Sausage Egg and Cheese) so far I've liked everything I've tried, have yet to try the dinner and lunch offerings, in due time I say. Everything I tried was between the $2.79 - $4.59 range for mentioned items. Service - The service here is consistant for the most part, but they do wear their grumpy face sometimes. So on those days you may not receive such..top notch service. But on their good days you will! Future - Just take a look at my check in's and hit the like button! (Yes) read more

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Amazing customer service from cashier Anthony Helped me decide on my meal choice Smile, friendly,helpful and funny. I enjoyed my experience there and recommend their delicious food and way above average service. I let the manager know so he'd get the compliment read more

Just ordered a rapid rick up. It was 40 minutes before close so I guess they didn't feel like cooking. My Frontega Panini was just a cold sandwich! I took a photo of the cold unmelted cheese slab and called if they'd make another if I can back at close time - they said they were closing in 10 minutes and refused! The manager told me to come back another day for a refund. Incredibly rude and bad service considering the level of absurdity with not bothering to cook the food. My family will be funneling a lot less money their way. If that wasn't bad enough - they did not have a pastry in stock, so they just wrote an obscure note on the receipt and didn't bother to mention when I came in. read more

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Just got waited on by two of the most incompetent individuals I've met in a long time. The one who rung me up acted like she was on drugs and the other over weight, tatted out troll needed some obedience training. Totally fucked up my order then tried to blame it on being over worked, under staffed and in on her day off. When asked what a Cuban was, she replied a man from Cuba. When I asked to speak with a manager she said she was on break. Am I mad? Nope. Disappointed cause I wanted soup. These two employees should be working at the DMV or the post office. Very rude, angry and clueless individuals. They give new meaning to Head up your asses" read more

Some days your craving for a grilled cheese sandwich is way too strong to ignore..today was one of those days for me. I was craving bread and cheese (what's new?) so I ordered half a grilled cheese sandwich and added tomato soup and a free birthday cookie for good measure. Instead of getting the sandwich on plain ol' white or wheat bread I opted for the tomato basil bread and got EXTRA Swiss cheese to ensure the sandwich was a wonderful, cheesy mess. WOW. Either I'm great at choosing bread and cheese, or Panera can make a banging sando! Let's go with both ;) the sandwich was amazingly good. So simple but sooo yummy. And the soup?! I am not a soup person by any means. I usually look the other way when soup is offered but this tomato soup may have changed my mind. It was very creamy and tasted vaguely like cheese. And the croutons that come with it are delish as well. This review makes Panera sound like some fancy, gourmet restaurant and I honestly felt that exact way when enjoying my delicious lunch al fresco. So so good. This may be my go to lunch order from now on! read more

Panera Bread - Creamy tomato soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

Ok Panera, you did me dirty... literally. I posted some pics, but both mine, my sister, my mother, and my fathers' spoons/utensil were "dirty" upon being served. One handle was even still "sticky", who knows what that sticky-ness was. Mine personally had what it looked liked clam chowder on the spoon handle. We opted for plastic utensils instead. Is it that hard to actually thoroughly wash and clean the silverware? Looked like it was ran under a faucet with just water, and "looked" like it was ready for use. The pickle on our orders were "soft-looking", like it had been sitting out all day, it did not even have a crunch in it. Did not seem fresh at all. It was a Friday night and it was not even busy, shame that my dining experience was poor this time, as other times they were perfectly fine... read more

Panera Bread - Come on Panera not that hard to clean some spoons. The right one the handle is sticky and can tell it wasn't cleaned - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

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Horrible horrible service! I wish there was a choice to not have any stars. The website took my order and my payment 40 mins before closing, so we headed over and waited for 30 mins in the car just for them to cancel the order. The only way we figured it out was when we saw employees walk out of the store. They're supposed to close at 8pm but they canceled our order at 7:45pm without even sending a text (which I signed up for). I tried calling them many times and no one bothered to answer. The doors were already locked so we were pretty much sh*+ out of luck. It sucks that people no longer have the heart or desire to serve. read more

I wasn't expecting there to be a big difference between the different Panera restaurants. But this one was disappointing. I was a bit surprised that it wasn't very busy at 5:30ish . Hmmm I had the turkey avocado BLT minus the tomato. My order was taken as soon as I walked in, no waiting. It was only a couple of minutes before my sandwich arrived at my table. So KUDOS for good fast service. However. The sandwich left a lot to be desired. This is how it looked to me: Some mayonnaise was slapped on the bread, a piece of lettuce was thrown on top of that, the turkey was thrown on that. I am pretty sure they just thawed it out, the look was unappealing. There was plenty of avocado but it was just this side of ripe. The bacon??? Was it really bacon, there was no flavor. So yes I was disappointed, it did come with a drink, I had iced tea and a bag of chips came also with the meal. The value wasn't there for me at $11.25. read more

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New caprese sandwich is spicy hot. Could not even finish a half. Since when is caprese hot? It is not. Found out it had sweet peppers. Sweet? No. HOT. Threw the sandwich out. What a waste of money. read more

CALLING MANAGEMENT! This location has turned into a disaster. Employees would rather laugh and socialize with each other than help customers, bathrooms and tables are very dirty-what's the deal? read more

I wandered through the Willows Shopping Center last week after I had picked up an order at REI. The economy has left this place a little lonely, with the empty Krispy Kreme donuts building as a reminder. Other businesses that used to be here include the first Trader Joe's in this area (since moved), one of the first ARF locations, Whole Earth, the Willows Theater and of course Chuck E Cheese. I was pleasantly surprised to find a Panera Bread location here and hope it succeeds here. The Willows branch is non-linear in its layout and invites you to hang out and relax. And there were a number of folks doing just that, despite the fact that the rest of the Willows was kind of dark and lonely. I ordered some breakfast items and made a note to return for lunch or a light dinner sometime. read more

I LOVE everything at Panera! From there Bagels, Cinnamon rolls, Turkey Artichoke Panini sandwich to there Asian Chicken Salad to there Broccoli and Cheddar soup! My daughter and I come here a couple times a week for lunch. She loves there mac and cheese with a yogurt on the side. The people working here are always welcoming and so friendly! read more

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I remember when I used to only come to this shopping center because I was going to the Claim Jumper. Not today! Brianna S. and I were out and about (again) and wanted to get breakfast, only we were a lil late getting started. When I threw out my choices of Mimi's Cafe or Panera, Brianna jumped on Panera. Mia at the counter was really nice and had the best sense of humor. When I was offered an a bakery item with my lunch combo, I asked with the cookies that looked like elephant poop were, and she totally fell out laughing. Turns out they are chocolate cookies with chocolate chips, dusted in powdered sugar. But we both agreed that they reminded us of Six-Flags Discover Kingdom (aka Marine world). I opted for the steak chili, the Mediterranean sandwich, a baguette and a gingerbread cookie. Brianna had the Turkey Artichoke sandwich and the tomato soup with a cranberry orange muffin for later. We both had drinks and the tab was less than $15. My steak was very good, nice balance of spices and offset by the sweetness of the cornbread on top. I absolutely love the Mediterranean sandwich, it is my favorite. Make sure you get the Panera card for freebies and discounts in the future. read more

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I don't like to drive "distracted". So, I had to stop by here on the way home. Nothing like a chewy chocolate chip cookie and cold lemonade to calm you after a stressful "family meeting". When a marriage is on the brink of falling apart (I'm amazed that it hasn't happened yet, after 29 years, my parents have gone through it A-L-L) there's really nothing else that would keep you together except for the fact that both parties are willing to work on their issues. And work on it. And work on it. Meanwhile, there's always tempting pastries waiting for you at Panera. 5 stars. Oh, did I mention that my brother works here??? read more

Just finished a workout and I was in need of some protein. Came to get a egg sandwich and got delivered to my table my egg sandwich with no egg. And then I experienced pretty bad customer service. Food: I ordered the Ham,Egg, Cheese Power Sandwich with additional avocado and I was delivered a sandwich with no egg. Service: The gentleman who originally delivered my sandwich apologized for the wait and my sandwich wasn't hot and felt like it was waiting to be delivered for a while. I went to the kitchen area to tell them of the mistake and they added an egg. My receipt says that Accuracy Matters and when I inquired about it with the woman who gave me my sandwich with the egg added (my sandwich, again, was not up to standard in temperature and texture at this point) acknowledged that I could get a treat but then walked away. I went to wait in line holding my plate and the person who was making the coffees saw me but walked away.I was pretty livid at this point and starving. I ate my sandwich and left. I've been working in the area for the last 4 months and the service has always been consistently slow and honestly poorly trained. I come here for convenience but my "faster breakfast" option took over 30 minutes (I checked the time stamp on my receipt). read more

Panera Bread - Ham and swiss egg souffle with no ham. - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

Panera deserves a review update and increase in stars. Honestly, I haven't used them for catering in the last few years so I can't speak to any improvement there. However, I have popped in a few times for caffeine and/or breakfast and the people working there are always SO nice. Their Mediterranean Egg White breakfast sandwich thing is quite tasty. I've enjoyed that at the start of a road trip of two and it's nice that all of the nutritional information is readily available, as required for a chain of their size. Oh, and a neat thing that I noticed the last time we were there! You can order food from your table and have it delivered there. I imagine that's nice for folks who are putting in some work hours with their wifi. read more

I was a supervisor for Panera Bread throughout nursing school and know the standards that are expected of the company. I also know that things can get hectic during peak hours. I took pride in working for Panera and enjoyed my experience there. With this being said, there is absolutely NO excuse for what we witnessed today. Randy's, the manager, customer service skills were atrocious. He did not great us, or even identify himself as a staff member. He had no name tag, and his shirt did not have the Panera logo. He was rude and abrasive and was simply shoving bags of food at people. When someone would ask him where something was, he'd simply point in a direction without looking up at the person or acknowledging them. There were at least 6 tables in the dining area that were not cleaned and had dirty dishes on them, which is why we had to change our order to-go since there was no where to sit. The outside dining area had 3 tables that were in the same condition. The drink area was dirty with wrappers and lemon rinds lying around. The floor in front of the food pick area was sticky, and I heard a supervisor state "Wow, this floor is really sticky", yet in the 15 minutes while we stood there no one came to clean it. I overheard another supervisor speaking in an extremely rude manner with an elderly woman who was confused where to find glasses for water. When we got home and took our food out of the bag, the order was wrong as well. I included photos of the receipt and then photos of the food we were given. I ordered a Bacon Turkey Bravo, but was given a Chicken Caesar Salad. I also ordered a Peach Pecan Crunch Muffin that was never received. As I stated earlier, I worked for Panera Bread for four years and know very well standards of the company. read more

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Friendly staff. I love the vegan options, and hope they add more, like vegan cookies in the future. Tasty food at an okay price. The ambience is comfortable with big booths and a fire place. I come here often with friends. read more

I'm a long time fan of Panera Bread until I moved and now this location is the closest to my work and home. In the past, my regular Panera Breads have rarely gotten something wrong in my orders, but on the rare occasion where I found something wrong with my order, other locations have made up for it and my time waiting by giving me a complementary smoothie or bakery item. This location on the other hand has messed something up about my order EVERY SINGLE TIME. Usually I have taken it on the chin because I got it delivered or my husband picked it up and it's too much hassle by the time he's gotten it home to do anything about it. This time I checked my order and two things were wrong. It was supposed to be a quick pick up, but I had to wait for my order to be remade. Not only did they not make up for my time lost with any extra goodie, they also refused to swap my french baguette for 2 bread bowls and said that they are an extra charge even though they are the EXACT same price on the menu and I've gotten them swapped before with ZERO hassle. I told them I wasn't happy because this continues to happen at this location and I've been stiffed on my orders before and they just stared at me. IF YOU HAVE TO GET PANERA BREAD, GO TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION! read more

I went to Panera Bread in the Willows for a business meeting. Customers order and pay at the counter, take a number and choose a seat. A server will bring your order promptly to your table. The service is extremely quick, and food was alright. I got the 2 item lunch combo with half a Turkey Artichoke Sandwich and a cup of Broccoli Cheese soup. Both were perfectly fine. The sandwich was a good portion size. I wasn't very impressed with the bread considering "Bread" is in the company name. The best thing about this place is the casual, comfortable seating, easy parking, quick service and free WiFi. This place makes an ideal place to have a casual business lunch or study spot for students. I don't think I would come here otherwise as the food is mediocre (typical chain soup, salad, and sandwich joint) and the prices are slightly more than I'd prefer to pay for the quality (lunches are around $10). read more

Well I fell in love With their salads. Had a couple salads that weren't as well done as they should be so I went back and talk to Kyle. I told him about my salads issues. Kyle sincerely apologized immediately got me new salads for the day before's order. He generally cared and that makes all the difference in the world between a good business and a bad. Nobody's perfect but I can tell at least They try to be. Thank you Kyle! We will be back, keep up the great work! read more

This Panera is either a hit or miss for me. My go-to order? Smoked turkey sandwich with spicy mustard and mayo, crust cut off. And a bag of chips. (But lately, I've been venturing out and trying their Pick-Two combo.) Pretty simple, I would think. A majority of my time here is when I am grabbing food for my lunch break. And I find that most of the time I spend here is waiting for my order to come out. The service is slow here. The people that make your food take their sweet time. And it is frustrating to wait for your food and hear them talk about their personal lives during that wait. I don't want this to be a rant. I try to look at it through the eyes of the employees. But for it to happen several times is unacceptable. Another thing that is unacceptable is messing up my order. I mean, can you imagine the frustration of waiting 20 minutes for a sandwich to find out that it wasn't made right? Please, Panera. Just cut the crust off. Please. The only reason I keep coming back here is because it is so close to work that I have no other choice but to go here if I am hungry. They are cheap and not fast food. Please fix the problem, Panera. I already left a review on your website. Let's see some change! read more

Panera Bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

I understand covid but...we placed an order and a main dish wasn't delivered through door dash, a flat bread pizza. Ok....but door dash couldn't do anything and I called three times over 20 min's. It would ring about 30 times then get disconnected. No food, no refund, nobody to talk to, no resolution. And hungry. Not happy read more

I like this place. I find it to have decent foods, a step beyond TOGO. I give service three stars and food a four stars (so not quite a solid four stars). Tonight. I tried the Mac and Cheese, pretty boring. I wish I chosen something else. For me, the Sesame Chicken Salad is most outstanding for this establishment. My Swiss Ham and Cheese sandwich on Rye was mediocre. But the chili with home made corn bread is a **definite** winner in my book. Bags of chips is just same ole. I wish they give better alternative than just Chips or Apples (and I hate apples) so I ended up with bags of chips (that i gave to my friend). I would say they have good croissants but they are out tonight. -- What stand out for me this evening was that we were there just before closing. I noticed that they bagged all the today's bread in big containers. Out of curious -- I approach and ask one of the worker. I learn that they give their day bakes to charity organization to feed the HOMELESS / Needy folks. -- Just for this they get a solid *** four Stars *** from me. KUDOS for this restaurant. *** Horray **** read more

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We just stopped and picked up 6 cinnamon crunch bagels. Got home and there's no cinnamon crunch on top. Has Panera changed how they make these??? read more

Panera Bread - Not a cinnamon crunch - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

Very close to work, but very busy during lunch time. There's a lot of seating except during lunch time. It's like trying to fight for a spot! The food is great and feels fresh. I haven't experienced any bad service here. read more

Panera Bread - Shrimp roll - Sandwiches Near Me - Concord, California

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Had my 1st Panera Bread experience here and defiantly will be back! I had a Turkey and Cheese Sandwich on French White with Chips and a Frozen Lemonade which was yummy! Service was fast and persistent! Great place to stop by after a long day climbing at Diablo Rock Gym! PS I do not find most of the photos helpful because they are mostly different point of views of each food item xD read more

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