Americans are fairly consistent in their displeasure with Panera Bread for Monday’s announcement telling gun owners to leave their guns at home before visiting Panera.
Nevermind that the St. Louis-based company (Also known as the Atlanta Bread Company near that city and as the St. Louis Bread Company near St. Louis) has a long record of bad guys victimizing employees and / or customers at their stores. To name a few (h/t to TTAG): Omaha, Nebraska; Ocala, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; Milton, Georgia; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Aberdeen, Maryland; Needham, Massachusetts; Greensboro, South Carolina and Gainesville, Georgia. … carjacking in Columbus, Ohio. …mugging in Eldersburg, Maryland.
And if you Google St. Louis Bread Company armed robbery, you get 141,000 results, whereas Googling “Atlanta Bread Company robbery” gets you 56,000 entries. Nah, there’s no need to bring your gun to Panera! You’re perfectly safe… until you become Google entry #141,001.
Shannon Watts aka Shannon Troughton, President and owner of of VoxPop Public Relations, a boutique liberal PR firm, had this to say to CNBC:
“We are thrilled that after months of discussions between Panera and Moms Demand Action, Panera is taking a proactive position in favor of our families’ safety by putting a new gun policy in place. Moms are the consumers-in-chief of our households and we will reward companies that take a stand for our families’ safety. We urge other national companies follow suit.”
One of our members, Bob from Wilmington, IL, called this morning and said he contacted Panera’s corporate offices and they reiterated that this request for gun owners to leave their guns at home was only a request and that they weren’t going to post their stores or ask anyone to leave.
The bigger problem for Panera is that when gun owners like Bob hear Panera’s statement, they are alienated from the company.
Moms Demand Action moms are certainly in the minority in the polls we’ve seen. And the reaction of consumers is consistent and doesn’t bode well for Panera. Here are but a couple of polls we ran across.
The bottom line is that by a two to one margin or more, Americans aren’t impressed with Panera’s announcement.
Panera serves up high fat, high calorie food.
Now I have 2 reasons to stay away.
My comment sent via their web site (A comments link at the bottom of http://www.Panerabread.com ):
My wife and I are My-Panera Rewards members. One of us eats at Panera Bread at least three times per week (although we often forget to mention our membership).
We are also law-abiding, licensed concealed carry firearms owners. Obtaining those carry permits required that we be pre-approved by the FBI, State Police, County Sheriff’s department, Mental Health organization, and submit to full background checks, 16 hours of training in self-defense and firearms law, as well as passing proficiency tests in the use of our personal weapons.
Since you prefer that we not bring our personal protection devices into your stores, we assume you also prefer that we not spend our money there as well. You are encouraging your customers to enter a zone where law-abiding people are unable to defend themselves.
A quick Google search for St. Louis Bread Company armed robbery, you get 141,000 results, whereas Googling “Atlanta Bread Company robbery” gets you 56,000 entries. Nah, there’s no need to bring a legal gun to Panera! You’re perfectly safe… until you become Google entry #141,001.
We will pass on the salad & soups we prefer at your store in Champaign, IL until we either see armed guards at the doors OR we’re again welcome to discretely carry our own personal protection weapons.
Please come to your senses and publicly reverse this policy. Atlanta Bread Company has a similar menu and Firehouse Sub makes very good salads as well.
JM:
Nice letter, but Atlanta Bread Company, St. Louis Bread Company and Panera are all the same company, if I’m not mistaken.
I’ve only been there a couple of times a long time ago. I wasn’t impressed with the over-priced, not-so-fresh bread (some like their bread crunchy, not me) and so-so soup.
Sam
Who gives a shit about their food, this isn’t about their menu, gee-whiz you are stupid………
Geez, attack mode much? The poster appears to be encouraging others to go to panera’a competitors, and explaining why they should. He is on YOUR side. Why are you cursing and calling him names?
No guns = no funds. They have just joined target and many others
That get no more of my money. Moms demand action, so do I.
Hit them where it hurts folks in the wallet. Spread the word.
NO GUNS = NO FUNDS.
Are the criminals going to leave their guns at home? I think not! Easy prey for the bad guys now to rob and kill! This is what the “anti-gun” group wants, to make it unsafe for law-abiding citizens. There will always be evil in the world, stop making excuses by blaming guns and go for the true problem,evil people!
They’re already targeting people on Chicago’s public transportation, a “gun-free” zone. Lawmakers are stupid.
Oh because telling criminals your patrons are unarmed makes them soooo much safer. At this rate I will have to go to Krogers and buy dinner, at least I know I have a chance to defend myself in the parking lot. Hey pandera how’s that no gun thing working out for you?
Many good comments here.
I, too, value my 2nd Amendment rights (although I rarely carry).
But, the thought that there may be other customers “packing” is very comforting to me.
Pandera makes good bread, but principles are more important.
I would like to repirt a lost customer……ME!THANKQUE
If the powers that be at Panera Bread believe that keeping Law abiding citizens with conceal carry permits from bringing their guns with them
to their stores in any way means that non-law abiding criminals will not bring their guns with them in their stores as well…..They must be a special kind of stupid!