Comments on: A Case Study in Efficiency & How to Fail

By: Sarah Merion

Sarah Merion — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:30:58 +0000

You’re right – what I described is very much how Panera Bread operates. Speaking of that, I miss Panera. There aren’t any in Boston :-( Thanks for your comment David!

By: Sarah Merion

Sarah Merion — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:29:47 +0000

You’re right – often the simpler, the better. What boggles me too is the fact that ABP’s are run differently depending on which store you go into. For example, the one near me doesn’t do what the particular ABP did that I wrote about. Their operations are much more efficient. Not perfect, but more efficient.

By: Sarah Merion

Sarah Merion — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:27:34 +0000

I had my first Finagle a Bagel yesterday. While I did not purchase it myself and can’t comment on their operations, the bagel was very tasty.

By: Sarah Merion

Sarah Merion — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:26:29 +0000

In sociology, the term “alienation” refers to the sense of dissatisfaction the modern worker feels as a result of producing goods that are owned and controlled by someone else. I would attribute the manager’s lack of concern to his feelings of alienation.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:03:09 +0000

I had this problem throughout college. I even notified the manager one day because I went to ABP (what we called it) so often, and he barely cared. I honestly feel your pain and appreciate that you wrote this up as I experience this every time I went in there. Eric’s last blog post..I Don’t Know

By: Stuart Foster

Stuart Foster — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:56:09 +0000

I think your biggest problem was going to an Au Bon Pain. (It has pain in the title for one.) Finagle a Bagel is where it is at in terms of breakfast/lunch sandwich deliciousness. Plus they make their own bagels. Stuart Foster’s last blog post..The Simple (Ugly) Call to Action in Inbound Marketing

By: Jay Terauchi

Jay Terauchi — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:43:40 +0000

As a restaurant consultant, I see this often. A lot of businesses should make the process simple vs. having the customers jump through many hoops. Adding more cashiers to take orders and collect payment at the front end will solve many problems and agree with David's comment. Jay Terauchi’s last blog post..What Were You Thinking?

By: David Bourbon

David Bourbon — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:04:05 +0000

Your suggestion is exactly how Panera Bread Co. operates. The biggest delay is in waiting in line to order. More cashiers would solve that. David Bourbon’s last blog post..You’ll Love It—It’s a Doublewide