Panera

Heather2256

Has anyone used Panera for their reception? We're (hopefully!) having a simple cake & drinks reception with finger foods. My FI wants breads & cheeses (or spreads, I can't remember) & I mentioned Panera which his BM swears by. Does anyone know if they're any good? Or does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks!

Ashes_3

I love Panera! Their ham & swiss is delicious (as well as their bread!) If they seem to be to expensive you could always try subway or pennstation?

LauraT25

In general I like Panera as a regular customer, though it's a little pricey for sandwiches.  I've had Panera before at catered meetings/luncheons, and the quality and presentation is very good.  Some of the options aren't as universally liked, so you have to be careful about having a good variety and having some 'normal' standbys as well.  Their bread is really yummy, so I think it's a good option for something like this.  Cosi (www.getcosi.com) is another place with similar food; I don't know if the prices are any better but you could check out their options as well.

kgrunow

We catered Panera for my sister's graduation party and it was awesome. You can do a huge selection of sandwiches. I think it came with salad and cookies. I would love to attend a wedding were it is catered by Panera.

sb9411

Mmmm I love Panera. We don't have it in Arizona, but I wish we did! I think this could be a really nice option :-)

NOLAbridealmost

Panera is fantastic for breads, sandwiches, soups, pastries. 

If you want cheeses you'll need to supplement it because aside from the cheeses on their sandwiches they don't have much of a selection.  Try Whole Foods for that. 

BlueBoxBride

I love Panera and all, but I think you can either find more "special" offerings through a mom and pop cafe for the same price OR regular deli sandwiches for cheaper elsewhere. I'd shop around, get quotes and see if you can negotiate some thrown in sides or upgraded meats/cheese/condiments. CostCo does some pretty good platters as well. Whole Foods is expensive, but the presentation is VERY nice. All you have to do for their platters is unwrap!

pinkrn19

Seriously? I love panera..for lunch. It is your wedding! A grand affair..I think you should consider some other options honestly.

Heather2256

Thanks everyone! We'll take everything into consideration.

Mekare

Don't know if you're still thinking about it, but I actually work at Panera. Our caterers work really hard and there is a TON of variety. You just have to ask! You can even get hot sandwiches or mac n cheese (which is the best ever!). Also soups, salads (really great too!) and all the breads and pastries are made fresh every day. I think it'd be fun and whimsical to have fancy sandwiches! They can definitley make things fancy too, cut up and set up nicely and everything. So, from a Panera employee, I think it's a safe bet.