Au Bon Pain - Lebanon

During this pandemic you try to be as conscientious as possible especially when it comes to food service industry. I walked into the cafe to notice tons of signs, and was clearly confused as to where to order a fresh sandwich. There is only a huge sign overpart of the counter that says pick up order here. When I politely inquired to the women who had their back to me at the counterwhere was the best place to order was I supposed to order on an app on my phone what would be the right thing to do to order, Iwas scoffed at and told that no I could order there what do you want? I asked for the turkey club okay and she turned her backfrom me. The young male cashier who apparently in my opinion may have been new so would you like to pay for that now whileyou're waiting, and I said if that's okay I'd like to look around the rest of the cafe in case I'd like to purchase somethingelse to go with my sandwich. The girls were laughing and just interesting enough with sanitation and protocols in place I foundit interesting that this girl, in a bright pink hooded sweatshirt, had her hair in a loose ponytail with her hair almost to herwaist hanging over the Sandwich board while making my sandwich. And I've been in the restaurant industry for 26+ years as acorporate and independent restaurant manager and have been ServSafe certified for over 20 years. One would think, especially ina hospital that the management would have had her hair pulled back fully or in a hairnet. When I approached the cashier to askif there was a manager available or a business card that I may contact Au Bon Pain with my experience of being treated veryrudely he said no business card but yeah I guess I could go get the manager I said never mind. I'm also an Asian American hereat the Dartmouth Hitchcock hospital and wondered if the girls had given me attitude for my race. I felt it was a veryunprofessional experience and when I got to the little seating area in the hospital to eat my sandwich it

Absolutely amazing ! Super fresh and outstanding quality food . The bread is fresh as can be and very tasty for a white bread ! I always get the Turkey Club because the cheddar is perfectly sharp , with the bacon and crisp lettuce , topped off with thisfresh juicy turkey . It's mind-blowing , truly . Hahaha ! ??????????????????????????????????????? The Strawberry Lemonade isalso to die for , definitely recommend ! Fairly quick service even when busy , and you can order ahead I believe .

This is a welcoming spot to grab a sandwich and a coffee. It can get quite busy and chaotic during lunch, so I'd recommend ordering and paying online to make a quick pick-up and avoid the rush. I understand the concerns about professionalism and service. However, keep in mind that this is a fast food restaurant, not fine dining. The staff are juggling multiple orders, monitoring coffee pots and napkin dispensers, accommodating specific requests for items like tomatoes or Dijon mustard, all while managing a line of customers. Plus, they have their own personal challenges as they are just people like us. It can help to approach any issues with a smile and a constructive attitude. They genuinely want to assist you, but sometimes, despite their best efforts, things can go awry. This kind of situation happens everywhere at DHMC, but here, it's just about a sandwich. So, drop by, grab a bite, and say hello. The staff are wonderful and truly aim to make every interaction positive.

Shortly after, she dashed out from the back and apologized as she grabbed the empty coffee urns two at a time, bringing back a couple of fresh ones. As she was placing the empty urns under the coffee brewers, another male staff member strolled out from the back and just watched her. She said to him, "You could at least make the coffee," to which he shrugged and replied, "I don’t know how." As this conversation unfolded, a new wave of customers began to line up in front of the sandwich counter. The male staff member then vanished into the back room, leaving the woman to manage the entire situation on her own. I decided to just pay for my coffee and skip breakfast, but I had to wait several minutes while she handled the rush by herself. I saw three staff members, but she was the only one actively working. I’ve never seen an Au Bon Pain so badly understaffed and mismanaged. Kudos to that one staff member for doing her best to keep things running; she deserves some competent colleagues, for crying out loud.

The person who has taken my last few orders tends to talk a bit too much (and quite loudly), and he frequently gets my order wrong, such as not omitting tomatoes (which I’m allergic to). He doesn’t seem to pay attention. Additionally, he takes multiple orders while the first one is still pending.