Come But Please Don't Stay

About 15 years ago we didn't have "third places".

There wasn't a place to visit where we could relax, surf the web, get some decent food and do a little work. Then Starbucks, Panera Bread and "wireless Internet" came along and changed everything.

With the addition of these new restaurant concepts and their services we suddenly had the world at our finger tips and a place where we could go to get away from it all...without really "getting away".

If you're like me you've gotten use to these "third places" and all they have to offer - especially the free wireless Internet.

Here's the bad news...it appears that several Panera Bread locations have run into operational problems because they offer free wifi to their customers.

Panera's biggest rush time period is obviously during lunch....in order to be profitable, they need to push as many people through the restaurant as possible.

So here's the problem - how can Panera get people through the restaurant quickly if everyone is sitting at all the tables browsing Facebook?!

It clearly didn't take Panera too long to figure it out so they came up with the worst solution possible: turn off the free wifi Internet service during rush hours. (see the sign above posted at my local Panera)

They don't want you to be offended and stop coming to eat, they just want you to take your food to go. But wait a minute....doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of Panera?

Call me selfish and ungrateful, however with this move it's clear Panera is slowing destroying the essence of who they are!

What's next - no more free bread?