Panera opens in Highlands

[Robin Garr]

Oh.

Sometimes a guy just has to bay at the moon, but I'm all better now.

By all means, howl away! I was just excited at the prospect of another Lotsa Pasta and/or Blue Dog.

[Robin Garr]

By all means, howl away! I was just excited at the prospect of another Lotsa Pasta and/or Blue Dog.

I would be too!

Looked nice when I drove by yesterday. Don't know if I will ever step inside, but it looks nice. Still not sure about the parking situation, but maybe it's hoping for more business from neighborhood foot traffic.

Just drove by. Agree with man of the sentiments already expressed. We'd prefer a non-chain, but it could be worse.

It seems like they still have a lot of work to do before the opening tomorrow. The outside seating looks like that will be a nice feature. The guys at Old Town Liquors said that it took their delivery truck about a 8 point turn (blocking Bardstown Rd for several minutes) to get into the parking lot. Hopefully, they'll figure out a better way to get the delivery truck in going forward. We don't need the extra congestion at that intersection.

A certain locally founded and owned Cajun restaurant with more than one location did make moves on that spot, but lacked the kind of buying power and influence that Panera has....

panera grosses me out. fakery, not bakery. it's a perfect example of why we need to support local places that make real food in-house. I would much rather eat at mcdonald's, or other china that don't hide the fact that their food is pre-fab.

So, I was curious as to what exactly panera does with their bread from mixing to finished product, and I found this article interesting. Apparently they par bake the bread then flash freeze and ship it out. The store then thaws and "completes" the baking process.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/menu-innovat ... ling-dough

[Robin Garr]

So, I was curious as to what exactly panera does with their bread from mixing to finished product, and I found this article interesting. Apparently they par bake the bread then flash freeze and ship it out. The store then thaws and "completes" the baking process.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/menu-innovat ... ling-dough

Yeah, that's pretty much what I said above. Technically, there's nothing really wrong with this process. But it does cast a shadow on the strong implication in Panera's marketing that skilled artisan bakers are pounding out fresh loaves for you in the local shop every morning.

Mark, you must have misread the article as it describes Panera's bread as being delivered refrigerated, not frozen.

So, I was curious as to what exactly panera does with their bread from mixing to finished product, and I found this article interesting. Apparently they par bake the bread then flash freeze and ship it out. The store then thaws and "completes" the baking process.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/menu-innovat ... ling-dough

I was under the impression that the breads were baked on site.

A friend of mine applied for a job there, and she is a professional baker.
The hours were that of baking hours, in order to get the product out by opening.

I will double check if it is from scratch , or already produced but baked off last minute.

I know that Fresh Market does that, how disappointing.

I will double check if it is from scratch , or already produced but baked off last minute.

This is what they do. I have a co-worker that worked at Panera and he said they would get in a shipment of of dough in the evening and the bakers would work through the night.

I was under the impression that the breads were baked on site.

A friend of mine applied for a job there, and she is a professional baker.
The hours were that of baking hours, in order to get the product out by opening.

I will double check if it is from scratch , or already produced but baked off last minute.

I know that Fresh Market does that, how disappointing.

If the product is alright does it matter? I've never dined at Panera so I'm clueless about their bread.

Just a little different twist on Panera's bread.

I deferred this refrigerated dough question to my live in bread maker. First of all, she makes 95%+ of the breads consumed in our home and I'll trust her opinion/comments given her amateur expert status. NJ has a number of recipes that call for a cold or slow fermentation...basically the dough is made up the prior day and allowed to rise in the fridge. OK, she doesn't truck it in, but if Panera uses cold fermentation the process is essentially what NJ does for some of her breads only on a larger scale. Does this shipping during fermentation result in a less fresh product? I don't think so, but reasonable people can/should disagree. If Panera freezes the bread/dough, then that is a whole nuther story.

Mark, It doesn't matter to me, I am just curious to see if it is the case for Sh. and giggles!