Refund Policy

(Miss the first part of this story? Click Here. For the record, I had no clue Panera had muffin tops as well - apparently my local Panera doesn't carry them.)

.....and finally decided on the Italian Veggie. (This was completely because the employee insisted we get it.)

We wandered through the open dining room and found some seats over in the corner by the window. Unlike Panera, Atlanta Bread Company brings you're food out to you. They don't clean it up but at least they make the genuine effort to take the extra couple steps and give you the service you deserve.

Our food comes out and the Italian Veggie is......rather......pathetic.

It's smashed down, and had about two mushrooms on it- with the bread, you couldn't even see the "veggies" unless you pulled the bread back and peaked in. It looked like it was missing half of the ingredients. Plus it tasted nasty.

My wife felt guilty and decided that she was going to just pick the veggies off and eat the bread because she felt guilty......then she couldn't even eat the bread because it had the nasty veggie juice soaked in.

Let's recap: get the idea of Muffin Tops in my head, call Atlanta Bread Company, convince wife to come here, pack wife and daughter in car.....drive 20 minutes, walk through downtown, order food, sit and wait.

I have invested more time than probably ever necessary in Atlanta Bread Company. Now, the food my wife ordered came out and was disgusting. She wasn't going to eat it. I wasted my money and my time.

It was going back.

I have sent food back before at many casual dining chains. There it's much easier. The server asks you how it is and you tell them the truth. Fast casual restaurants like Atlanta Bread Company are much more complex....especially when the only reason we ordered the menu item was because of the strong recommendation from their employee.

Do I just walk up to the counter and demand a refund? Can I get a refund at a restaurant like this? Can I trade sandwiches? Will they still take it back even though my wife had picked it apart examining it closely?

My wife, ever the kind soul, insisted I don't try and take it back , but I was determined. I decided my strategy was the truth, which is: the sandwich is no good.

I walked slowly up to the counter where we ordered, found the employee who recommended it and said honestly, "This sandwich doesn't look like we imagined, I'm very sorry but my wife won't eat it. Is there any way we can get a normal Veggie Sandwich instead?

She looked at me, apologized and called her manager over.

"Great." I thought, "the cheap manager is going to come over, deny me and ruin my day because my wife will be even more mad."

The manager walked towards me, smiled and then asked what the problem was. I explained my story and he said, "It's no problem, we'll get you anything you like."

Rrrrreally?!

A little shocked, I stuttered as I asked him for a regular Veggie Sandwich. He told me they would get it right out to me any apologized again.

A few minutes later the manager himself delivered the sandwich to our table.

Wife happy, baby happy, and I'm happy (because of the muffin top and unlimited refill coffee).

Sure, Panera has muffin tops, Panera has sandwiches, Panera has soups and atmosphere and coffee and salads. It's all great, but Atlanta Bread Company has something greater...

Service.