Panera Bread

I was always a little surprised that Panera hadn’t made it to Victor yet. Doesn’t it seem like the perfect addition? You always have a ton of chains surrounding a Thruway exit, but most of the establishments around Exit 45 veer towards the greasier side of life. For that reason, as well as the obvious-​in-​hindsight location, Panera is a welcome addition to the area.
I usually have nothing against most Panera locations, so I felt as though I knew what I was getting into by going here. This location is brand new, located next to the Hampton Inn on Route 96, almost right at the Thruway exit. It’s easy to go right past the entrance, but fear not-​Panera is accessible at the traffic light where you can go in for McDonalds next door. This location not only has a brand new building, but a drive-​thru for those of us so inclined. I chose to go inside, so I got a view of the intimate seating area. The location itself is small, so don’t expect to have a ton of space if you dine in. You can also skip the line and order from the fast lane kiosks, but if you do, you can only pay by card, be it credit, debit, or gift.
As far as the food goes, it’s Panera, so don’t expect an amazing difference from location to location. The Victor location does benefit from being so new because the staff was definitely working to impress the customers when I was there. Now, I’ve been to enough Panera locations to know when they’re phoning it in, and I’m happy to say that not only does the food taste like Panera should, but you won’t have to worry about cut corners here.
As far as chains go, Panera is fairly reliable, and if I’m out shopping and craving it, it’s nice to be able to go grab it right then and there. Welcome to the neighborhood, Panera, you’ll fit in just fine.