The customer claims to know why Panera's quality is so low

Internet users have long complained that Panera bread Today it is not the same restaurant they remember a few years ago.

Users complained about the restaurant's noticeably small portions, higher prices, and other cost-cutting measures taken by the company.

One of those users was TikTok creator Matt (@matt_epstein). Last month, Matt ordered a chicken dish from the popular chain, but got a piece with barely any food in it. He paid about $15 for this meal.

Frustrated, he turned to TikTok to voice his concerns. The video proved popular, quickly garnering more than 246,000 views. Upon seeing this, Matt decided to investigate how Panera could deliver such an item and “what happened to old Panera bread.”

He recently posted the results of this investigation on TikTok, where it has received more than 892,000 views.

“Five years ago, you couldn't walk into Panera Bread without seeing abnormally long lines with lots of people waiting to get their baked goods, soups and bread bowls,” he explains. “But now we're seeing crazy high prices, ridiculous portion sizes, and people claiming they died from lemonade.”

From here, Matt lays out a bit of the history behind Panera, from its humble beginnings to its purchase by Au Bon Pain for $23 million.

“2000-2008 was the golden age of Panera bread,” he explains. “They kept opening more and more locations, and that's when I remember going there and having a great experience every time.”

However, in 2017, the company was purchased by JAB Holdings, which Matt points out is “the same owner as Krispy Kreme and Keurig.” This is when Matt says quality and quantity start to decline.

“In order to take the company public, JAB Holdings tried to make Panera Bread much more profitable,” he says. “So there have been a lot of changes made by JAB Holdings, e.g Laying off 17% of the company’s employees In Panera bread.

Matt goes on to note the aforementioned frustration online surrounding Panera. He says this made some people feel “cheated” by the company.

Although it wasn't mentioned in Matt's video, it was there too Reports from earlier this year That Panera was experiencing major menu discounts at some of its locations, which in turn led to a lot of panic among Internet users.

In the comments section, users shared their complaints about Panera Bread.

@Matt_Epstein

This is what happened to old Panera bread

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“I worked at Panera during the golden era because I loved it… I stopped eating there completely because of the high price and low quality,” one commenter said. “It was very sad.”

“I stopped going. $8.00 for a grilled cheese. Cheese and bread,” another added. “This is crazy. “I'd rather get a pizza at this price.”

“I used to go in 2011-2013. “It was amazing,” recalls a third. “I don’t know the food or the prices anymore. “Can't be bothered.”

We reached out to Panera and Matt via email.