I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Panera Bread in Apr 2011
Interview
Maybe a week or so after I had submitted my application online I got a call back from one of the shift managers to set up an interview. They were flexible with my school schedule and didn't mind that I showed up in school clothes (ie. jeans and a t-shirt) which was nice. I met with the manager I had talked to on the phone and had a super quick interview, it probably lasted only 5 minutes and had simple, almost unrelated questions such as "what do you do in your free time?" "Do you like to read, if so, what?" stuff like that. He then scheduled another interview with a different shift manager who asked me about my work history and things like that. After a few questions he said "Once you pass the first interview you've basically got the job, we just want to make sure you're not crazy." And right during the interview he said I got the job. We then set up an orientation to sign papers and to get a tour of the restaurant and also a meeting at Planet Bread which was a 3 hour long process where they tell you about the company.
My recommendation is to just be friendly and relaxed. With jobs like these they don't really care about how well you answer the questions, they just want to see your personality. Good Luck!
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Panera Bread
Interview
The process was super casual in the sense that the manager made me feel at ease, considering it was my first job, and asked a lot about my competency in dealing with everyday customers. 1 round of interview, and the turnaround was about 2 weeks.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Scenarios for handling everyday customers. This goes beyond just helping customers with orders; it goes into situations like allergy information and how to calm customers down.
good questions and nice environment for people that applies to all he positions. there is not discrimination of race, sexuality or gender in any restaurant. it as a very fast hiring process. not complicated applications or interviews.
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Panera Bread (Huntington Beach, CA) in Jun 2014
Interview
Post 1st interview at Seal Beach, CA, I was given a 2nd interview at my desired location-Main Street at Huntington Beach. Manager Casey was not at all what I expected: sincerely kind and incredibly easy to talk to. Asked me 'what's your fave movie?' and 'have you ever had a confrontation with co-workers?'. Easy questions and an easy-to-talk-to manager. Also got a free drink from a warm cashier. Great atmosphere.
The only flaw? Being told to wait a few days for a call, to see if I make it to a 3rd interview. Inconvenient and crazy!