Panera Bread

[PILMAN]

I like Panera Bread for their food but it's too dang expensive, and they charge you 2 bucks for a frozen lemonade in a small cup, what a rip off. Didn't know they were anti-gun but I think i'll be avoiding them if that's the case.

 

[bogie]

If I may comment on the Panera thread...

You get a LOT more flies with honey, campers...

I'd have worded it...

Sir/madam:

I was in your <insert address of store> restaurant with my family the other day, and since I am active in sanctioned competition, I was eager to see how our olympic shooting team is looking. I was quite dismayed to see that any attempt to access any of several sanctioned competition web sites was blocked, probably as part of an attempt to curb illegal activity. These sites are not involved in illegal activity, and as such, you really should consider having the local manager remove them from the web filters. We really like your sandwiches and bread, and it really disappointed my children that we weren't able to check on their olympic heroes.

Honey, guys... Honey...

 

[hso]

This one didn't have a good basis to begin with and has wandered.

What was pointed out is that when you use a free internet wifi you don't have much to complain about when their commercial net filter blocks access to a site.

If you are going to complain about a free wifi filter blocking access to firearms sites you need to persuade and not threaten. Remember, you're complaining about a free service that they don't have to provide at all. Persuasion is a much better tool in these circumstances.

 

[Diamondback6]

Like I said, though, it's store-by-store--mine, a training store no less, the manager is cool with it (and I wonder if he's at least a gunnie-sympathizer if not outright one of us), possibly because of the sheer amount of his business that comes from Army and Air Force personnel.

There's no point in griping to Corporate if it's a "store manager's discretion" issue, right?

And all you boycotters: Because mine does respect 2A rights, I'm gonna try to spend as much at that store as you guys don't elsewhere, to show them the "carrot" side of the equation.

 

[MrAnteater]

Panera is real hit-or-miss with their internet blocking policy.

I've been in ultra liberal Ann Arbor and have had no problem accessing gun sites. While other times in the conservative suburbs of Detroit it's been blocked.

It really seems to be on a store by store basis.

 

[hso]

Sometimes all you gotta do is ask a question and you get an answer.

Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. Although we do not encourage anyone to bring a weapon to our bakery-cafés, if you are a duly licensed weapons owner in a state that allows concealed carry, we abide by the law of the state without restrictions. Our bakery-cafés are in compliance with any state laws dealing with this matter. However, the use and/or the brandishing of a gun in Panera, LLC's bakery-cafés is not acceptable.

As part of offering Free WiFi in our bakery-cafés nationwide, it is important that we maintain the community tone and standards that Panera Bread is known for. Panera Bread has partnered with two software companies that maintain lists of categories and sites they recommend for filtering. With millions of sites on the Web, sites sometimes can be blocked IN ERROR. At the request of WiFi users like yourself, these software companies will review and reassess them on an as-needed basis.

If you feel a site has been blocked in error, you may submit a URL rating review request at the WiFi Help Desk for the bakery-café you are visiting. Since there are two WiFi Service providers for our bakery-cafés, we would need to know which café or cafés you visit so that we may provide you with the correct Help Desk telephone number(s).

Please let us know if you have further questions or concerns. Again, we thank you for visiting Panera Bread and using the Free WiFi service that we are proud to provide.

Sincerely,
Paul
Customer Comment Coordinator

 

[Robert Hairless]

A reasonable response, well written too.

 

[hso]

The lesson learned here is to get all the facts straight before planning a course of action. Any serious error on our part can destroy the effectiveness of the plan.

The plan now should be to come up with a list of sites that their net filter won't complain about, NRA, THR, TFL, etc., and submit those through this Customer Comment Coordinator (see MDW Guns's original link for contact) as well as the local WiFi helpdesk for each store. Since the store may use one of two different WiFi service providers you have to ask the store what the helpdesk number is to make the request through. I'd limit my requests to serious RKBA sites at first and then broaden the requests to other sites of more general gun interest.

Something along the lines of, "Pardon me, while my family and I are here I'd like to look at a site that deals with the recent 2nd Amendment SCOTUS decision. It seems to be blocked in error. Here's the URL, would you unblock it for me? Oh, you can't do that here? Could you give me the help desk number to get that done? Thanks!". Every time we encounter this we need to send an email to the Customer Comment Coordinator as well. Then if they refuse we have something to ratchet the pressure up over.

Also, when "asking" a business to correct the error don't threaten them with posting the information on a firearms forum so the members can contact them. Tell them that you're going to let all your friends and family know about the problem so they can refuse to do business with them. Since you're active on a large internet forum, you'll be passing that information along there as well. I'm not sure how much a business is interested in having people complain who aren't already doing business with them, but they sure are interested when you say you have a voice on the net so that thousands of people can learn about an unacceptable policy and can stop doing business with them.

 

[NG VI]

I also would have walked a bit softer, just asking them to check their settings and explaining what sites you are attempting to view would go a long way, maybe even all the way. No business is going to listen to anyone sounding less than polite if the threat of cash loss in one way or another isn't involved, and not small cash either.

 

[snow92686]

Its a franchise... by the way they split from st. louis bread in the nineties. Just ask the manager, they control everything in the store you are at. Or you could just go to Atlanta Bread company. We don't block gun web sites. And I'm not just saying that because I own one.

 

[bogie]

Bogie needs some sourdough starter...

Remember too, guys... Be nice. Because some of the folks expect gun folks to be idiotic testosterone-and-beer fueled rednecks, and it is just SO much fun to bust that stereotype while you're at it.

And remember - it's Olympic season. We can use that. It's politically correct too!

 

[Robert Hairless]

Remember too, guys... Be nice. Because some of the folks expect gun folks to be idiotic testosterone-and-beer fueled rednecks, and it is just SO much fun to bust that stereotype while you're at it.

Be clearer, please. Are you saying that we should or shouldn't be yelling "I want a machine gun!" and "Mouton Lapels!" at the counter help?

 

[Diamondback6]

I believe what Bogie's saying, RH, is "DON'T." Besides, it helps when dealing with the left-leaning or fence-sitting if you can use Elmer Fudd, or IPSC or Bullseye or other shooting "sports", or the legal matters like Heller, as a "smoke screen"... Nobody likes a screaming maniac zealot, and that includes some of the truly hardcore 2A types like me as having that sentiment.

Different tools for different situations...

 

[Guns and more]

I have noticed that your internet provider is blocking many sites which I understand. However, they seem to be blocking any sites having to do with guns and the sport of shooting. If this is not Panera's decision you may want to have these sites unblocked. Otherwise far more people than you know are going to reject doing business where they feel their rights as sport shooters are not respected.

Well said!

 

[ChrisVV]

I read this the other day while at panera. I couldnt post at the time because I was with a client and he was on the phone for a few minutes so I was browsing THR and saw this, He got off the phone just as I was going to reply.

With that said, I was unable to get on GlockTalk.com

 

[lee n. field]

These sites were blocked by the "SonicWALL" for "Forbidden Category "Other".

Sonic wall? Somebody's paid bucks for the content filter license. That's expensive.

"Guns/violence" is a category check off. I manage one for a school.

Ask nicely, they might just uncheck it for you.

 

[IllHunter]

Imagine, much to my surprise,

Someone researches a knife or a gun using our wi-fi, then buys one and uses it for harm and now some two-bit lawyer will try to point a finger of blame at my company? I don't think so. Better safe than sorry.

Sorry logic and fear motivation that is so lame, here on THR without being hijacked, as it so rightly merits.

 

[oda226]

I work for the US Military and anything refering to "Guns" or "Weapons" on the iNternet is blocked at work. Go figure!

 

[hso]

Well that ties this one up with a bow.

Another member read this same thread while sitting in Panera.

Panera responded to a "comment" from me without any delay saying that any site blocked in error could be unblocked if a request was made and the site wasn't offensive.

Claiming that you have a "right" to free internet access to firearms sites or that a business that posts that they have free WiFi but filters what sites are accessed from their WiFi is in "breach of contract" is just silly. It's a private business and they aren't charging you anything to access their server and they're granting a privilege. Try to not confuse "rights" with privileges.

Be nice when you ask for some error to be corrected. Don't threaten. No one likes a blow hard, but most folks are receptive to a simple request. If that doesn't work, then get tough. But for heavens sake don't try to push people around right off the bat. Don't work too good with us, why would it work the other way 'round.