Perrysburg Blog

Panera. The original idea was “Au Bon Pain” – which is French for something to eat.

The Panera in Perrysburg is housed in a former restaurant. Which is a place to . . . eat.

So why review Panera as a coffee shop/meeting place?

Well, because it is so popular with clients and agents to meet at. And most of the time you go there to NOT eat.

Panera is a GREAT place to meet a client or an agent. It is therefore a functional coffee joint whether they know it or not (I think they do – most retailers don’t mind visitors who bring money).

My review:

Location: 3 Pens. The Perrysburg Panera is on the east side of town just off of US 20. You see, there is this invention called the “frontage road”. And the wise folks that planned this part of Perrysburg obviously have not heard of frontage roads. So Panera is close to I-75. But it’s in that US 20 mess of u-turning cars, trucks, and frustrated suburbanites. Last week I was just off of US 20 and heard a giant thunderclap – the sound of a car accident on 20.

Music: 5 Pens. Nice and quiet. Usually smooth jazz or nu jazz. And no mercenary upselling of CD’s and gift cards full of iTunes money.

Furniture: 5 Pens. Really too many tables to count. Plenty of plugs. Plenty of work and meeting space. Simply the best place for a meeting.

Drinks: 4 Pens. Being a tea imbiber they have great brewed ice tea and every kind of hot tea you could want – these things I can attest too. The coffee and sugary drinks. My teen daughter who loves such things actually places Panera just below Starbucks.

Staff: 4 Pens. Quiet and unobtrusive. No tipping allowed! I think they are busy making bread.

Most Annoying Feature: The phone! Turn the ringer down. You can hear it throughout the entire store.

Best Feature: The fireplace. Certainly adds to the warmth and ambiance 5 months out of the year.

Free Wi-Fi: Yes. Just agree to their terms and register – hopefully they read Seth Godin. It’s called “Permission Marketing”.

Weird Real Estate/Design Thing That I Noticed: 2 actually. Love the “Air Lock” door. Saves money. Keeps bugs out. Makes patrons happy (no blast of cold air on a Winter or Fall night. Costs some money to install but a smart design feature. Interior not as “fancy” or trendy in Perrysburg as their newer locations in Toledo and Sylvania. Must have had to spend money on ovens and the kitchen in their rehab of the former steak joint . . . . all budgets have limits.

Overall: 4.5 Realtor Pens. The best Winter place to meet a client or an appointment. Think it’s a restaurant? Watch the people. 1/2 are not eating – they are meeting.