I realized with a start that Saturday-morning breakfast at Panera Bread in La Quinta has become de rigueur for my husband and me. The warm ambiance, cheerful service and yummy fare are constants in an inconstant world and I am instantly cheered upon crossing the welcoming threshold.
This morning I chatted up manager Ralph Sidorowicz while imbibing my first cup of aromatic coffee (whose brew-time is trumpeted on each urn). An outgoing, affable man who befriended us way back, Ralph exemplifies Panera’s customer-centric approach. He riffs on the company’s cultural values—greeting customers by name, anticipating their needs—and adds, “It’s not a “Ralphism” but how all employees are encouraged to treat customers.” Gosh. And I just thought I was special.
“What’s neat about this company is that employees are treated the same way,” he says and mentions that Panera Bread has even been nominated for Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” 
I’ve often remarked on the fact that Panera employees are articulate and responsive, a testament to both the company's ethos and the all-important manager helming this particular ship. I‘ve covertly watched Ralph calmly mentor his troops in the 1.5 years since the bakery opened Christmas Eve 2007 and seen first hand the adage that business success is always a top-down process.
Ralph just returned from Nashville where he attended the company’s Family Reunion, a 3-day corporate event held every other year. He and 2800 fellow employees attended development and management sessions, reviewed corporate goals, and then enjoyed country-western artists at the Grand Ole Opry. And, of course, the requisite side trip to Elvis’ shag-rugged Graceland in Memphis. 
So, what’s in store for Panera next year? Seems a renewed focus on the iconic French baguette. It will become a more traditional loaf of bread, crispier on the outside, lighter and airier on the inside. As someone who lived in France once upon a time, a fresh perfectly-made baguette is a wondrous thing.
“We’ll be making them more often during the day as well to ensure that customers ordering salads and soups receive a warm, freshly baked baguette on their plate.”
The bakery goods—which constitute a quarter of the company sales—will see some additions to the line-up, including “Grab ‘n Go” pre-packaged items for customer convenience.
La Quinta’s Panera Bread is located on Hwy 111 at Adams. Henry’s Produce anchors one end of the mall, Wells Fargo the other. Chipotle, another high-flyer, is adjacent.
Panera Bread, headquartered in Richmond Heights, Missouri, employs 9,300 people and operates 1,552 retail bakery-cafes in 38 states. They opened 91 new storefronts last year that included the Coachella Valley’s second venue, this one in Palm Springs. Ralph says Palm Desert is slated to welcome the third bakery next year. Can’t wait.
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