A Panera Bread worker recently shed light on what it’s like working at the chain—with one commenter referring to the experience as “trauma.”
In a short video, user @princess.belina reenacted a short exchange with a customer and documented how her manager responded. As of Tuesday morning, her clip had amassed over 608,000 views.
When the manager says, ‘I’ll allow it,’ after I just told the customer we weren’t allowed to,” she wrote via text overlay. Then, @princess.belina lip-syncs the words of a viral TikTok sound: “Let’s cut the shit, man … you’re not gonna … you’re gonna embarrass me in front of my people on here?”
@princess.belina i’m calling corporate on you now 🙁 #fyp #ihateithere #abcxyz #foryou #draft ♬ original sound – zinx
The Daily Dot has reached out to @princess.belina via TikTok comment. As of publication, it was unclear which Panera Bread location she worked at and how common these occurrences were.
Still, her video led a number of viewers—and former employees—to weigh in on what it’s like working there.
One simply identified with @princess.belina: “And then the customers get all smug,” they wrote.
Another shared that they, too, had been undermined by their Panera Bread manager. “Told a customer she couldn’t use one coupon three times the same day. Then my manager let it [go] and she glared at me and went, ‘Thank you, sir.’”
“Everyone who’s worked at Panera should have a support group because that was trauma right there,” another commenter chimed in.
Other viewers, meanwhile, said that @princess.belina’s video was almost too relatable.
“Fr cause now I look like I don’t know how to do my job,” one pointed out.
“Now, I look like I don’t know my job bc my manager wanna be lazy,” said another commenter.
Giving advice on what to do when faced with this scenario, one viewer suggested, “That’s why I started saying it’s at the manager’s discretion. Make it 100% their problem to solve.”