363 days later...my final Cbus review: Grove City

Standard exterior shot.

It took me nearly 365 days, but I accomplished my goal. I have visited and reviewed every single Panera Bread in the Columbus area...all 22 of 'em! In addition I have even visited/reviewed 10 other outer market Panera Bread's throughout Ohio and the nation.

I finished this goal on Friday morning, where I reviewed the newly built Grove City Panera.

THE REVIEW:
Date visited: Friday, December 16
Time of Day: 11am ish
Items ordered: Med veg, chips, and unsweet tea

Old faithful. The med veg. Delightful.

It's no secret, I went out of my way to visit Grove City. I had an appointment in Columbus on Friday, and decided to head to Grove City to review the new Panera. My appointment was in the Easton area...and then I drove to Grove Tucky...not convenient, but well worth the effort.

Being unfamiliar with Grove City, I had to pull up directions to this Panera on my iPhone. Suprisingly, I could not spot this Panera immediately. I made the assumption that since this was brand new, it would be a free-standing Panera with a drive-thru. I was shocked to see that it was neither free-standing nor did it have a drive-thru. Rather, it was stuck in the middle of a small strip center. That's pretty unusual for the a new Panera.

I pulled up to the restaurant and had many pre-conceived notions. I assumed it was going to be your average run of the mill boring Panera. In fact, I kind of assumed it would be the same look and feel as the new Hilliard store. I was wrong.

Standard interior shot.

If you are ever in the Grove City area, visit this Panera. The decor is warm and inviting, yet the actual restaurant is fairly large. Some of the newer Panera's like the Hilliard location, are just not as cozy. It's difficult to explain, probably just a personal preference. I did notice that the GC Panera had a purple color palate. Apparently that color is settling to me.

Note the purple walls.

Random NOTES:

• Saluting the Troops: Panera Bread is giving away Pick 2's to current military personnel and vets on 12/21 and 12/22! Spread the word!

• Staying Hungry. Staying Foolish...I impulse bought a MacBook after my Panera trip. I actually have been contemplating this move for 2 years now. I saw there was a Best Buy near the Panera and pulled the trigger. Still blogging on my PC, however.
• Waiting area. Have you ever been standing around waiting for your food at Panera to be called up. There really is no good place to mill around. This was brilliantly addressed at this GC location. They have a bench near the waiting area for that purpose. Genius!

Waitin' bench.

• I am not sure how new this location is, but they were very eager to help. That's usually a sign that the place is brand new. They had one girl going around essentially busing the tables. It was nice, yet very unexpected.
• Covelli is the franchisee of the Columbus Panera's. They also own O'Charleys. There is an O'Charleys about a block away from this Panera. Does anyone like O'Charley's? I can't say I have ever said, "Hey, lets go to O'Charley's." I have been to a few in my day, but the decision to go there is typically based on convenience and/or lack of other options.

So we meet again...The Lakewood Panera review.

There she sits.

My Panera experiences have come full circle now. I had the opportunity to re-visit the Lakewood Panera on Saturday. This is THE Panera that is responsible for my weird obsession slash blogging about Panera. As I discussed in my original post, the Lakewood Panera is so unique. To date, I have reviewed nearly 40 Panera Bread stores, and this one is by far the cat's ass!

I'm not sure what was housed at this Panera before it was a Panera, the cashier told me it has been a number of things over the years. The last thing she remembers it as was a Hallmark.

Each year, my mom and I visit my sister in Cleveland for a Christmas shopping weekend. Last year, I signed up to run the Lakewood Reindeer Run. Because of logistics, my mom had to tag along to this first race, and decided to have a coffee and read a book at Panera, while I ran. It is because of this race, that I found this Lakewood Panera. I decided to sign up for the race again this year. My mom was a trooper again this year, and camped out at the Panera while I ran.

The REVIEW:
Date visited: Saturday, December 3
Time of Day: 9:30ish
Those in attendance: My mom and me.
Items ordered: Mom: Hazelnut coffee, and cinnamon crisp bagel. Me: Whole grain bagel and an iced tea to go.

The race started at 9. So we arrived at the Panera right around 8:30. They have a parking garage at this Panera (which I remembered from last year) so we parked there. My mom found a nice seat in the front of the building, next to the windows overlooking the street. I grabbed a glass of water and did a warm up jog down to the race start.

Once the race was finished, I jogged back to the Panera.  We were in a bit of a hurry because we wanted to see my nephew's flag football game, which started at 10. Being true to my loyal readers, I felt the need to order something. So I got an iced tea and a whole grain bagel to go.

There I am with my whole-grain bagel and unsweet tea. Pretty standard, really.

Why do I like this Panera so much? Let me bullet point my reasons:

• The building. It is an old building, converted into a Panera. It is just so unique. 
• The location. If it wasn't for the unfortunate climate, I would consider moving to Cleveland, and Lakewood might be on the top of the list. It is a neat little town. I don't know if it would technically be called downtown, but this location feels like "downtown" Lakewood. There are other office buildings and little shops in the surrounding area. The houses are all very nice. Older, but nice. 
• The layout. They worked with the space that had to work with. There are windows that go from ceiling to floor all around the perimeter of this building. Naturally, that's where they chose to place all of the seating. Great view. 
• The signage. The exterior signage conforms to the rest of the tenants of the building. It is not the standard corporate image. I don't know why, but I like it. 

View from the waiting area. 

Cashier station.

View from the table.

Random NOTES:

• Last year, I was annoyed with the parking situation. We had to find street parking, which was a real pain. It wasn't until we left Panera last year, that we discovered the "FREE PARKING GARAGE" sign for Panera customers. I remembered this year, and capitalized on the garage parking. 

• Santa Claus. As I walked up to the Panera entrance, I noticed that they had Santa on their front porch for the day. Very nice touch, Panera!

I blocked the kids face at the suggestion from my sister. Good call, since I don't know him.

• My race results. Last year I finished #618 with a time of 31:34. This year I improved my time to 27:17, with only 548 others finishing before me! 
• I pre-registered for the race and picked up my packet the day before. However, once I arrived at the Panera, I realized I had forgotten my packet with my number and tracker thing that tells your time. Thankfully, the kind people at Hermes Road Racing gave me a new number and tracker. 

I still have another Columbus Panera to review (Grove City), and I am sure there will be new one's built as the year goes on. I plan to visit Grove City very soon. 

"Italian Combos" & Drive-Thrus at the Hilliard Panera

My final Columbus review, Hilliard...or so I thought! I was pretty pumped on my drive to Hilliard on Sunday afternoon. Throughout this past year, I have diligently crossed off the Panera Bread locations on my list. To my knowledge, Blacklick was the last on my list from the original Cbus area Paneras. I knew there were 2 new Paneras opened in the Cbus area this past year (Lane Ave & Hilliard)...but I had no idea that a secret 3rd location had opened! Coming soon: Grove City Panera review!

The official list used to mark of
my Panera visits...

Focusing on the task at hand, however...here's my Hilliard Panera experience:

The Review:
Date visited: Sunday, November 27
Time of day: 5ish
Items ordered: You pick 2 (half italian combo sandwich on whole grain + greek salad no olives), a whole grain baguette, and an unsweet tea.

That's a nice looking "Italian Combo"...

This Panera is located off of Hilliard-Rome Road, very close to the I-70 exit. Hilliard-Rome Road is super busy. Tons of retail shopping, restaurants, etc. I can see why Panera strategically placed this Panera close to the I-70 on-ramps, next to a Meijer and across the street from a Wal-Mart.
It's a new Panera...it's not a free-stander, but it has a drive-thru! My fav! This location shares a building with Five-Guys, and something else...can't recall. Maybe an ATT store?

I arrived with my laptop on a rainy Sunday afternoon. As always, I was happy to see a drive-thru, and hope that drive-thru's become more of a rule rather than the exception.
The LAYOUT: Very unique. A Dispatch article talks about how it is a prototype for future Panera's to mimic. Walking in the front entrance, there is open seating to your immediate left and more of a closed-off section to your right, featuring the main dining area. Straight ahead...the cashier.

Whatcha see when you walk in...
notice the fancy LED menu boards.

I found a nice booth, with an outlet, close to the bathroom.
RANDOM notes:

• The Italian Combo sandwich. RANDOM! I know. A completely new item ordered, only because I wanted to try this out for my readers. It just doesn't seem fair for me to keep ordering the SAME thing. 3 words sum up this sandwich: Meaty, filling, salty. I opted to not get it on the ciabatta bread. I think Ciabatta bread is too hard. Would I order it again? Doubtful. Should you? Only if you are looking for something meaty, filling, and salty. Sounds like Snooki's taste in men. Actually, an "Italian Combo" sounds like a term that the Jersey Shore crew would embrace for a number of innuendos.

Snooki's "Italian Combo"

• More bread DRAMA. At the Blacklick location, I ordered a Med Veg, which comes on tomato basil. Well, they put it on whole-grain. Fair enough. I got over it. Less than a week later, at this visit, they put my "Italian Combo" on Ciabatta, despite the fact that I ordered it on whole-grain. I don't like to be a diva, but I had them change the order this time.
• Grove City. Apparently I have to drive down there for a review. I had no idea Panera opened down there. I will be sure to fit this in before year's end.
• Outlets are key at a Panera. There are numerous Panera laptop lurker's at any given Panera. We need our outlets. I was fooled at this location. The older layouts have the outlets underneath the tables on the wall. Apparently, the newly designed stores have them cleverly placed on the outside of the bench seat. The outlet covers also match the paint, so they blend in well. Indeed, clever. What will you think of next, Panera?
• Menu boards. This one has the new electronic message boards. Very attractive!
• I earned $2 off the PICK 2...just for having the MY PANERA card!
• Hilliard-Rome vs. Rome-Hilliard: How do you say it or spell it? Which comes first Hilliard or Rome?

View from my table...

A Manic Monday Dinner at the Blacklick Panera!

In an effort to squeeze in as many new Panera reviews by years end, I made it a point to visit the Blacklick Crossing Panera on Monday for dinner. This Panera is by no means convenient for me to get to. I decided to stop by this Panera on my way back from Zanesville en route to UA.

I actually used to work very close to this Panera years ago, sadly I never bothered to eat there! Apparently that was pre-Panera obsession. Regardless, visiting the Blacklick area off of Taylor-Station Road was bit like a stroll down memory lane.

The REVIEW:
Date visited: Monday 11.21
Time of day: 6:30ish
Items ordered: The proverbial old-faithful...Med Veg (Apparently I ordered it on whole grain...see random notes), whole grain baguette and the unsweet tea.

My blood sugar level was dropping dramatically as I was basically parked on Rt. 16...with no Panera in sight. Getting down Rt. 16 off 270...was a real B****H! As it turns out, A LOT of people live/work near Blacklick...who knew?

I finally arrived at the Blacklick Crossing Panera, and my attitude instantly changed. In a word, this Panera is quaint. I have seen my fair share of the larger Panera's. It was a nice change of pace to see a smaller, more cozy Panera.

Difficult to illustrate "quiantness"...you will have to just see for yourselves.

Random NOTES:

• A bit of a debacle with the Med Veg. I ordered a whole-grain baguette; however, the associate that made my sandwich assumed this meant to nix the tomato basil bread on the sandwich. Once my name was called, I noticed the mistake. Because I can be a bit of a scatter-brain, I asked him if I ordered whole-grain instead of tomato basil. He looked at the order, and noticed that it was his mistake. He offered to remake the sandwich, but that seemed senseless at that point. I was hungry and didn't want to be a diva. Whole-grain sounds healthier anyway.

3 butters and a Dispatch...pretty standard, really.

• The CROWD for a Panera dinner is always interesting. A completely different vibe than your breakfast or lunch crowd. Even the associates act different. I always wonder why others chose Panera for dinner, and not something more traditional...like an Applebees or something I suppose. While it is not near as strange, but it is kind of like going to Waffle House for dinner. It just doesn't happen that often. Perhaps these dinner diner's are in fact as die-hard Panera fans as I?
• BLACK FRIDAY. You won't be able to go to a Panera for Turkey Day, but you can get there early for Black Friday. Some open as early as 4 AM...but most open at 6AM.
• For anyone that is counting...to-date I have reviewed 19 Columbus area Panera's (only one more to-go and it is a new one)...Outside of the Columbus market, I have reviewed 10 others across the nation. Keep in mind that I don't do a review each time I go to a Panera. That would be far too time consuming, and quite frankly embarrassing.
• Coming next weekend: My Lakewood Panera review. Refer back to my "About this blog" post, and you will see the significance.

Florida wedding and the Lake Eola Panera

One of my good friends, Ashley, got married a few weeks ago in Florida. I was excited to be in this wedding, and had been looking forward to the events leading up to the wedding for some time now. It was an added bonus that I had a legit excuse to go to Florida in November!

Warning, this part gets weird...

Shortly after arriving in Orlando, I picked up my rental car and went to a nearby Panera. Yes, that was the first thing I did. You read that correctly.

Now that's curb appeal!

The Panera I chose was the Lake Eola location. Lake Eola is in downtown Orlando, and it is gorgeous! Directly across the street from the Panera is a large lake with a bordering walking/running trail. It is quite picturesque, to say the least! I would consider the Lake Eola neighborhood to be very high-end. There were several high-rise condo units, that looked pretty high-dollar. (Although there are probably some really good deals on those units, considering the real estate market, especially in Florida)

An aerial photo of Lake Eola. Told ya it was gorge!

The Review:
Date visited: Wednesday, November 2
Time of Day: 11ish
Items ordered: Chopped Chicken Cobb salad, apple, unsweet tea

I was proud of myself for not ordering the med veg and a baguette. Clearly, I was thinking about the dress I had to wear in a couple of days...and said no to the carbs.

The layout of this Panera is quite unique. The outdoor patio is very tranquil. Once you enter the restaurant, there is seating to your left and right. Straight ahead is the bakery cashier and to the right of that is the regular cashier. Along the other side of the restaurant is more seating.

Random NOTES:

• Sweet tea option. They have an unsweet and sweet tea option available at this Panera. With the rise in sweet tea popularity, I am surprised sweet tea is not an option at the Ohio stores. I have noticed that sweet tea is becoming more and more popular in Ohio. My theory holds that McDonald's is responsible for spreading this trend. I personally, hate sweet tea. It is far too sweet for my liking.
• Business crowd. A majority of the patrons looked like they were on a quick break from work and/or conducting a business meeting at the Panera.
• Bathrooms. 3 stalls. That's fairly unusual. Also the handicapped stall had it's own sink. That's always a pleasant surprise.
• My Panera. I have earned a free sandwich on My Panera card. If you don't have a My Panera card, you are crazy. They practically give you money. What a reward...a free sandwich!
• Gift cards. I had a bunch of points racked up on my Chase checking account. Instead of using those points to buy something useful...I traded those points in for $125 worth of Panera Gift Cards. I think I went through the money in just under 2-months. Disgusting.
• Patio seats. Call me crazy, but these seats seemed nicer than usual. Thoughts?

Congratulations Tim and Ashley!



Tailgating, Buckeyes, and the Lane Avenue Panera!

If you haven't already heard, Panera just opened a new location on Lane Avenue in the heart of campus. It is housed in the former Cooker building just a few doors down from Varsity Club. When I think of this strip of Lane Avenue, I think of tailgating, partying, and Buckeyes. So when I first caught wind of Panera setting up shop here, I was skeptical. Who is going to grab a pick 2 in the midst of tailgate time? After visiting this Panera, I now understand the method to their madness...quite frankly, I think it is genius.

It was fate. I had no other choice but to have lunch there.

A couple of Friday's ago, I had a couple of appointments in the Grandview area. After leaving my last appointment, I see a huge billboard that states the Lane Avenue Panera is NOW OPEN! I was legitimately not hungry at this point in time...but how could I dismiss this obvious sign of fate? I needed to go to this Panera, and it needed to happen now. I made a quick u-turn, forced myself to get hungry, and happily walked into the Lane Avenue Panera.



THE REVIEW:
Date visited: 10.30.11
Time of day: 11ish
Items ordered: Med veg, chips, unsweet tea
At 8,500 square feet, this Panera is HUGE! As I was walking to the entry, I noticed the large patio seating area that spanned across the front and the back of the building.

I was greeted by 3 Panera associates at the entry and another managementesque Panera associate near the cash register. As they had only been open a couple of days, I imagine this is proper protocol for a new store. I find it rather annoying, and a bit of an overkill. I suppose they gotta do what they gotta do though.

Once again, I was set on ordering something new and exciting, but cracked under pressure once at the register and ordered my new default: The Med Veg. After placing my order, I filled up my tea and looked for a good place to sit while my food was prepared. Even though this Panera is huge, it was difficult to find a good place to sit. There were several college students scattered throughout the restaurant studying who cherry-picked all of the good seats.

Random NOTES:

• Genius ideas: They have a separate entry on the side next to a "To-Go" section. I have never seen this at a Panera, and it doesn't make sense for every Panera. However, considering where this Panera is...it is genius. Perfect for tailgating time.

• Bathroom: It's a 3-staller..and it is rather huge. Keep this in mind during tailgate time as well. Avoid the porta-potty line and visit Panera. Grab a coffee or bagel to go while you are at it.

• I think this Panera location could be a sign of what's to come at a campus near you. I bet this location rakes in a ton of money during game days. I wonder if this has been done at any other campus across the nation?
• Community Room: Naturally, a campus Panera needs a community room. And this one is no disappointment.
• Read up on what The Lantern has to say about the Lane Avenue Panera.

Skinny jeans and med veg's at Tuttle Mall Panera...

Exterior entrance, Tuttle Mall Panera

Fashion is not my passion. To say the least. So it's no coincidence that my visit to the Tuttle Mall Panera is my second to last Columbus area Panera for me to review. Though I have had many meals at this Panera over the years, those meals happened way before the blog was born.

My cousin, Cassie, works at The Limited at Tuttle, and she recently and not so subtly told me it was time to do some shopping at The Limited. After all, they were having a "sale". We have actually been planning this shopping outing for a few months now. I was sold on the shopping trip based on the fact that we could go to Panera after the shopping.

My biggest obstacle with fashion besides a basic interest, is that I just don't know what to pick out. I warned Cassie of my shopping fear and instructed her to have everything picked out for me before I arrived. To my surprise I walked into the store, and everything was pre-selected. All I had to do was try everything on. I think I spent close to $400. Clearly I was in need of some fashion 911. I was also instructed to buy skinny jeans. My best guess is that skinny jeans have been in style for at least the past 3-years. I still think it's too bold for me, and I truly wish they would go out of style. I haven't worn them yet, but I am convinced that by the time I embrace skinny jeans, they will for sure be a minimum of 2-years out-of-style.

My body in skinny jeans. Clearly being sarcastic.

Moving along...Panera. After dropping 400 bucks on clothes, I was excited for some Panera! Sadly, Cassie ditched me for lunch, so I had to dine at the Panera alone. Her loss.

Which brings me to THE REVIEW:
Date visited: Saturday, October 8
Time of day: Noonish
Items ordered: Med veg full sandwich with chips and unsweet tea

Med veg and some unsweet tea! Bon Appetit!

Mall restaurants always have a unique crowd. This Panera is no exception. However, your typical Panera crowd normally includes a few laptop kings/queens. Based on the fact that this Panera is located at a mall, the laptop crowd was completely void. (I'm normally part of that crowd)

The mall crowd...

There are two entrances to this Panera: An outside plus an interior mall entrance. The interior layout is very narrow, and it almost seems like putting a Panera there was an after thought. I know that Panera has been there a long time...at least 10 years. I can remember going there in college. I think if the mall was being built today, Panera probably would have opted for either a free-standing location somewhere in front of the mall (similar to St. Clairsville) or a larger, more prominent space connected to the mall.

Interior mall entrance.

Random NOTES:

• My latest obsession is the med veg sandwich. I have ordered this sandwich probably 9 out of my last 10 Panera visits, even for breakfast. I think I am officially stuck in a rut. With that being said, the med veg is quite delightful. It is also fun to say, "Med Veg". This is also how the Panera associates refer to the sandwich as well. It seems that the sierra turkey has been ousted as my go-to sandwich. 
• I am told by the ladies of The Limited that the Panera manager is quite a catch. I don't think he was working on this crucial Panera Addict review day, however.
• Panera sponsored the Stephanie Spielman 5K that took place last weekend. I really should have participating in this one. Not only was it for a good cause, but it was also a really good deal. All race participants received a FREE pick 2, compliments of Panera! Apparently food motivates me. Go figure.

Buying Panera, stock that is...

Follow my logic...

• The highest that Panera has traded was right about $125/share, back in June of this year.
• It fell to right about $96/share nearly 2 months later on August 8.
• Since that day, and pretty much since December of 2010 it has been right at $100 and above.

Stay with me...I have a point:

Let's analyze what I consider the mecca of all restaurant chains: Chipotle.

• They closed at $294 today. They hit their max so far around $325/share just a couple of months ago on July 25.

• That tells me that there is room for growth with PNRA.

If you exclude the financial crisis of 2008...once Chipotle hit $100/share, they did not look back and skyrocketed.

What about Google? Same thing. Once it hit $100/share, it never looked back.
Same thing for Apple.

Fact: Walmart, McDonalds, Coca Cola have never hit $100/share.

If you take into account the local knowledge that Covelli plans to expand to at least 30 locations, my logic tells me to buy Panera. Now. I am funding my Scottrade account, and I am going to buy some shares.

Random NOTES:

• I am writing this blog about Panera stock on a Friday night. Perhaps I should re-evaluate my social life.
• If you read all this, thank you...but you might want to re-evaluate your social life as well:)

Hold the onions at the Lancaster Panera

This past week my dad and I had a meeting with a customer in Lancaster. Due to the fact that the meeting was scheduled at 11 AM, I secretly hoped that lunch would be involved post meeting. In the back of my mind, I was hoping for a Panera visit. Unfortunately, the meeting ran a little longer than planned, and my dad needed to get back to Zanesville. I was disappointed, but told myself I would be back. I knew I would be able to cope.

Well, you can imagine my surprise, when we happened to drive past the Lancaster Panera. From out of nowhere, my dad suggested we grab a sandwich to-go! How fun! A billboard sale + an unexpected Panera lunch. This day was looking bright!

The Review:
Date: Tuesday, September 20
Time of Day: 12:30ish
Items ordered: (2) Sierra Turkeys on whole grain and 2 unsweet teas to-go.

This Panera is very new. It is the anchor tenant at a small strip center off Memorial Drive in Lancaster. Upon entering the store, the registers are immediately straight ahead, while seating can be found on both the left and right sides of the store. It was moderately busy, but I was surprised it wasn't busier, as it was really prime lunch time.

Random NOTES:

• I rarely order the full sandwich + chips and a drink. I ordered this out of necessity as we ate this in the car. I was surprised that two of the meals with large drinks was just under 18 bucks. The pick 2's, which I typically order, are quite expensive...a pick 2, would have been over 20 bucks for the two of us. Do I sound cheap?
• My dad can't eat onions. One of the primary ingredients of the Sierra Turkey is onions. Oops. Don't worry I had to pick the onions off his sandwich. Fair enough, seeing as how he bought the meal.

2 Birds with 1 Stone at Mill Run...

The Mill Run Panera Bread is located off Fishinger Blvd. Though it is technically listed as Columbus, it really is located in the Dublin/Hilliard area. For whatever reason, I have avoided visited this location, because I thought it was a far drive. The reality is that it is only about a 10 minute drive from my house.

The decision to visit the Mill Run location was in an effort to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I had some computer related work I need to accomplish, so naturally I decided a Panera dinner slash work session was in order. My first instinct was to go to my new home base Panera, which is the Upper Arlington location. Thankfully, I decided to work off my list of Panera's and traveled to Mill Run.

THE REVIEW:
Date visited: Thursday, August 11
Time of day: 7ish
Items ordered: Chopped chicken cobb. Whole grain baguette. Water w/lemon.

Freestanding.

Sadly, as I drove up to the Mill Run Panera, I was super excited. It's a freestanding location, and appears to be fairly new. Apparently I am a big fan of the freestanding Paneras...as I notice this is a recurring theme in my reviews.

The interior is one of the largest and most open floor plans that I have seen. It also features a community room. The patio is one of the nicest Panera patios I have seen. It wraps from the entrance around the front side of the building.

View from my table.

I scoped out the interior and decided to sit near the front entrance at a table next to an outlet.

Random NOTES:

• I love going to a Panera around the 7 o'clock hour. It is typically fairly empty, which is great if you  have work to do.
• The only negative thing I can say about this location is that it was FREEZING. I was hoping to camp out there til close...but I could only make it about 45 minutes. Now I get cold pretty easily, but this was borderline ridiculous. I couldn't have been the only one who felt this way.
• Because of this experience with the temperature, I have made it a point to bring a fleece coat with me anytime I go to a Panera. It's just safer that way.
• 16 down...3 to go. I have 3 more Columbus area Panera's to review. Lancaster, Blacklick, and Tuttle. Though I think there was a new one built in Hilliard that has a drive-thru.

Family. Baseball. Panera. The surprise visit to the Canton Panera.

 

Photo from our seats.

Every summer, my sister along with her two kids, visit Ohio from California. One of our many traditions include all of us going to a baseball game. Last summer, we all went to a Columbus Clippers game. This year, we traveled to Cleveland to see the Indians play. Since my other sister lives in Cleveland, this made everything very convenient.

The game was on a Saturday night, and the plan was to leave early the next morning. As Sunday morning approached, we were somewhat rushed out the door, to get back home. Piled up in one car was myself, my parents, and my niece and nephew (Cassandra and Nick).  I believe we were on the road by 7:30. No time to stop at one of my favorite Panera's (Westlake).

By the time we hit Independence on I-77, we all realized that making this 2 + hour drive without some caffeine and some food, was a big mistake. Huge. It was about this time that I realized we were only a short drive away from a key Panera location that I had never been - the Canton Panera located in "The Strip". Without hesitation, I suggested we make a pit stop there. Sure it was another good 45-60 minutes away, but it seemed like a good half way point to stretch and get our second winds.

Imagine my surprise, when everyone was in agreement to make this stop. Well, not everyone, as the kids had quickly fallen back asleep.

So without further ado...

The REVIEW:
Date visited: Sunday - July 31
Time of date: 9AM ish
Items ordered:
Me: Power breakfast sandwich. Unsweet tea.
Bob: Some sort of danish, black coffee
Deb: Cinnamon crunch bagel, with hazelnut coffee. 
Cassandra: Pecan pastry, hot chocolate
Nicholas: Cinnamon roll, hot chocolate


Upon pulling up to this Panera, I could tell this would be a good one. After all, this is right in Covelli's back yard. (Covelli is based out of Warren, OH). It is located in a strip center, sandwiched between an Old Navy and an Office Max. Being so early on a Sunday, the only cars at this center were Panera customers. As we walked through the parking lot, you could hear the relaxing music emanating from the speakers.

I personally, wanted to sit outside as their patio seating seemed very inviting. That was quickly shot down, as most in our party yearned for the AC.

After I placed my order, I noticed a brochure for the "Panerathon" which was scheduled to take place on 8.28!! The Panerathon is a 10K or 2 mile walk/run that benefits a charity. It takes place in Youngstown. After reading through the brochure, I was sold on this event. Unfortunately, I remembered I could not do the run on that day, as I had already committed to a golf outing in my grandpa's name, that happened to fall at the same time. Bummer. Perhaps next year. Any takers for 2012?




Random NOTES.

• This was Nick and Cassandras first Panera experience. They enjoyed their breakfast. Then again how couldn't they? (Sugar and chocolate) However, Nick claimed the cinnamon pastry tasted like apples, while Cassandra claimed hers was salty? 
• As I mentioned we visited this Panera on July 31. Which happens to be my sister Julie's birthday. Julie was sticking around Cleveland that morning and going to visit her old college. So my parents and I had Julie's kids for the day. Don't ya know, that morning we were all in such a rush that none of us, (except my dad) wished her a happy bday. I personally sat down with her and talked for a good 10-15 minutes before we left. Didn't say a word about her bday. Oops. About 30 minutes into our drive we realized our faux pas, and quickly called.

Our food + Nick and Cassandra. Not sure why Nick has a shitty grin. 

 

 

 

 

 

Interior shot. Also, there's Bob assessing the situation.

A trip back to Bluffton, and my "emotional attachment" to food...

Beach Time.

Oh Hilton Head. What a fun place! I made an impromtu visit back down south over the Fourth of July weekend. This happens to be my second consecutive impromtu HHI visit over the Fourth. Perhaps a tradition that is in the making? I stayed with the lovely couple, Amanda and Brian Pope. Typically my visits to HHI involve sun, beach, bars, restaurants...and to balance out the last two indulgences...running. This trip was no different, except that we mixed it up a bit and decided to rent bikes, and rode bikes virtually everywhere around the island. That decision, in my mind, was clutch as this weekend is historically one of the busiest on the island...and parking is a real bitch.

I have already reviewed the Panera on the South end of the Island (Reunited and it feels so good...my Hilton Head Review)...and I have only alluded to the Bluffton Panera, located just north on Hwy 278 in front of the Tanger I outlet. This Panera just recently opened up (well, at least since my last visit). Amanda, who is a school teacher in Bluffton and part-time Coach associate, was very good on updating me on the progress of this Panera. I was quite intrigued when Amanda noted that they were building a drive-thru at this one as well!

Whoever is running the Panera's down south, seem to have the right idea. I think the drive-thru is essential...especially for those morning java addicts, that would normally pass up a Panera, simply because it wasn't convenient.

Here's my REVIEW:

Location: Bluffton, SC - Hwy 278 in front of the new Tanger 1 outlets

Date visited: July 4, 2011

Time of day: 11ish

Items ordered:

Me: Barbequed chopped chicken. Whole grain baguette. Unsweet tea.

Amanda: Sierra turkey. Greek salad. Apple. Unsweet tea.

Upon arriving, I was instantly impressed with the overall exterior design. It is brand-new (obviously) is free-standing, and has an undescribable southern appeal. We were dining in, so I didn't take advantage of the drive-thru...but I am assured that it is efficient (per Amanda).

I missed the drive-thru in this photo. Oops.

It was pretty empty once walking in...I suppose most people are grilling out or at the beach for the 4th. (I was on my way to Savannah to catch a flight)

The food shot...

Random Notes:

• I don't know if it was because this store is so new, but it took our food an excessively long-time to get made, and they messed up my order a couple of times. I also found that the associates were not the warmest. I must be spoiled by the Ohio stores...because I rarely run into those issues in the buckeye state. This did remind me of the vast difference between my experience with retail/restaurant personnel in Ohio vs. South Carolina. While southerners are stereotyped for their warm hospitality...in general I would say that the hospitality does not shine through in these customer service type positions.
• Technology has overtaken us all. Sitting directly across from us, was a family of four. No lie, they all had a different electronic device that they were fiddling with during their meal. Everyone ate in silence.
• Emotional attachment to food. After this visit to HHI, I gave a play-by-play of the visit to another former Blufftonite, Erin Howell Straine. We laughed at the fact that each time we visit we make it a point to basically, eat. Wild Wings - La Hacienda - Sippin Cow - Big Bamboo - Fiesta Fresh - to name a few. It was concluded that we all have an emotional attachment to food in HHI, and perhaps our future trips should be somewhere else to avoid a gluttoness weekend.

Overall, I give this Panera an A for looks, but a D for customer service/sense of urgency. At any rate, on your next trip to the outlets in Bluffton, you should stop by for a caffeine jolt or a nice meal. However, if you are looking for a unique non-chain to dine in Bluffton, SC...my hands down vote is the Sippin Cow Cafe in downtown Bluffton.