Panera's Community Rules

My friend was in Panera Bread for less than two minutes before she was approached by a manager who told my friend to move from a booth to smaller table at a Panera. At the time, the restaurant was 1/2 empty.

The manager said that a family of 4 needed to sit in the booth. At that time, there was no family nor party of 4 in the restaurant that was not seated.

The manager asked my friend to move FOUR times. Each time she said that she'd prefer not to move. She finally told the manager to look at the restaurant. The restaurant is empty and there are many table where 4 people can sit. The manager stated again, in a threatening voice, so you don't want to move.

I am privy to the conversation because I was listening to the conversation on the other end of the cell phone. Thereafter, I called and spoke with the manager and asked him to apologize to her for asking her "over and over and over and over again" to move. I told him that clearly, his actions were hostile and threatening. He should not have asked her to move so many times.

I asked the manager if he asked any other person to move in the restaurant to which he admitted that he did not. I told him that his selective asking her and only her to move was not right. I asked him to apologize and he hung up on me.

I called back and the same manager told me that Parena has "community rules" that are clearly posted on the "Community Bulletin Board" that specify that management reserves the right to request that single guests in booths move to another seat, especially in busy times. I stated that 1) i have never seen such rules, could he provide me with a copy of the rules, 2) at that time the restaurant was not busy, and importantly 3) I asked him to apologize for asking to move, not once, but "over and over and over and over and over again." Especially when he did not ask any other small party to move.

The manger stated that he will not apologize and that I am "more than welcome to come in and read the 'Community Rules', but he does not have a copy for me." I requested that he make a copy for me and her reiterated the point that there is not a copier in Panera, but "I am more than welcome to come in and read the 'Community Rules' on the bulletin board."

Later that day, under the advise of the Panera manager I went into the restaurant to read the "Community Rules" and did not see any rules posted. I asked to speak to a manager and the very same manager who advised me to come in and read the "Community Rules" approached me.

I said that I cannot see the "Community Rules" anywhere on the bulletin board. The manager turned and looked at the board and said, "Oh, I guess that it is not there." I then cordially asked if the manager could provide me with a copy of the "Community Rules" and I was immediately without warning responded to with the statement that "If you do not leave immediate, I will call security." I stated, but you told me to come in and read that community rules. The manager immediately walked toward the telephone and started dialing. I left thereafter.

That night, I called other Panera Bread restaurants and asked if any such "Community Rules" existed and every employee and manager with whom I spoke stated in no uncertain terms, that no such "Community Rules" exist. Even his boss had never hear of "Community Rules."

The next day I went to Panera and the same manger in question walked by my seat more than 17 times while my friend and I were eating breakfast. Each time he stared at my table. On several occasions he'd pass by and did a quick 180 degree turn and stared at our table. It was evident that he was harassing us and trying to make us feel uncomfortable.


The manager in question should be fired for the following reasons:

1) He asked my friend to move, not once, but four times. Possibly, when the restaurant is very busy, I may understand him asking once, but asking multitude of times, especially when the restaurant is empty, becomes a hostile action. When he approached my friend he did not ask her nicely to move, he initially was rude. She was speaking on the phone and she had to stop speaking with me to respond to him. He did not even say "excuse me", he just told her that you must move.

2) He hung up on me when I requested that he apologize for the hostile way in which he treated my friend. Then, he lied and refereed me to fictitious "Community Rules" of which he was obligated to follow.

3) Under the manager's advisement, I arrived at the restaurant to read the "Community Rules" and when I asked for a copy, he did not say that he was sorry that he made up the fact that "Community Rules" exist. Rather, I was told that if I did not leave immediately, I would be forcibly removed.

4) The hostile way in which the manager acted the next day.