I have been a fan of Panera Bread for at least 12 ...

I have been a fan of Panera Bread for at least 12 years and having come from the hospitality industry and my experience as a Director at Marriot, I feel that I am a fair judge of a quality restaurant. Quality takes in so many aspects like price, product, placement, location, service and demand. Panera Bread sprung onto the scene with an attractive restaurant that served baked goods, soup, sandwiches and salads all creatively presented in a wholesome manner. The loyalty program and free refills on drinks are also an asset. However, as the prices have gone up, the service and quality have declined. Panera Breads prices for soup and sandwich now rival. a 6 ounce steak dinner at Outback, where we are served by smiling and well trained wait staff. There are 2 Panera Bread locations in Dayton that consistently disappoint me to the point of avoiding them as much as possible. One is the Kettering Town & Country location where mistakes go unchecked. This shows poor training by management and lack of concern for detail. Friendliness is also missing. Whatever happened to the question, would you like to add a 99 cent pastry to your order? Please tell me if I have or don t have a reward coming to me. Don t just ignore it. Tonight I clearly ordered my favorite salad, the chopped chicken Cobb and when I got home I had a Caesar. The cashier made the mistake no one else. She had to be told by the Lead Manager that I didn t owe $9+ as I had given her a $3 off coupon on a Pick 2. So I guess I was asking for too much to have the right salad. The other disappointing Panera Location is at the Dayton Mall on 725. I went with a friend one night before our movie and if we weren t in a hurry, we would have walked out because of the dirty mess. Litter was all over the floors and right inside the main entrance. Tables weren t wiped down and they weren t even busy. I will never go back there. The management teams of these poorly run establishments should visit a Panera Bread in Florida where the hospitality industry has degreed professionals that take pride in their work and know how a great restaurant should be run. Too many young kids working while going to highschool aren t going to give the attention necessary for a wonderful dining experience. Panera needs to do what Chipotle is doing and start properly training and hiring people 18 or older. Also, hire competent managers and keep nepotism out of the process.