top of page

Panera Bread and the Illusion of Fresh

  • Glenn D. Surowiec
  • Nov 12, 2019
  • 2 min read

When you think of Panera Bread, you probably have images of fresh coffee, great baked goods, really tasty salads... and you probably have the assumption that they’re made on premises.

Well, somewhat.

Recently there was a viral story from a disgruntled Panera employee who photographed a package of frozen Panera mac and cheese, just prior to an artisanal defrosting in the microwave.

There was much consternation, the employee was sacked, and Panera admitted that while they did serve frozen food, that it was all to the customer’s benefit, since they could maintain better quality control in a central kitchen. Not exactly the image of a chef making your meal in a restaurant renowned for its fresh food, is it?

It’s probably more of a temporary embarrassment for Panera, since their macaroni and cheese has many devotées, and by next week (especially as temperatures drop and seasonal warm food becomes more popular) all will be forgotten.

Then there’s another alternative.

A friend swears by the five-cheese macaroni and cheese from Miss Keeta, an amateur chef in West Philadelphia. She works in a local business (unrelated to food), where she takes orders from her customers. A day or two later she delivers an aluminum tray filled with what my friend says is the best he’s ever had. It’s made fresh in Miss Keeta’s kitchen and delivered fresh.

Why am I telling you this? It's not to make your mouth water. It's because there are also two ways to view investments: those made directly by your investment manager, picking equities based on his/her own views on where there are best opportunities for value... and then there are those coming from large institutions which have their own experts selecting investments for specific funds.

If your advisor is only recommending investment funds, is he/she merely “defrosting” investments? Or is he/she taking an active role? You may be satisfied with investments in large funds — the vast majority of investors use them for retirement planning.

At GDS, I take a different approach: I select specific equities based on my own research, and I invest my own money as I recommend to others. It’s for long-term value.

I’ll leave the microwave for heating up water.

Glenn D. Surowiec
Registered Investment Advisor
Featured Posts
Recent Posts
Archives
Topics
More Content

Follow Us:

GDS Investments, LLC

Glenn D. Surowiec

Registered Investment Advisor

484.888.9155 (mobile)
102 Turnbrae Lane
West Chester, PA 19382

GDS Investments is a premier investment management firm located in West Chester, PA and led by Glenn D. Surowiec, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). GDS Investments specializes in managing all types of investment and retirement accounts on behalf of individuals and families using a Separately Managed Account (SMA) structure with Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade as primary custodians.

© GDS Investments. All rights reserved.

The information provided on this website and in accompanying materials by GDS Investments, LLC is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered financial advice. You should consult with a financial professional to determine what may be best for your individual needs. GDS Investments, LLC does not make any guarantee or other promise as to any results that may be obtained from using our content. No one should make any investment decision without first consulting his or her own financial advisor and conducting his or her own research and due diligence. To the maximum extent permitted by law, GDS Investments, LLC disclaims any and all liability in the event any information, commentary, analysis, opinions, advice and/or recommendations prove to be inaccurate, incomplete or unreliable, or result in any investment or other losses. Content contained on or made available through the website is not intended to and does not constitute investment advice and no business relationship is formed. Your use of the information on our website, in our materials, or in materials linked from the web, is at your own risk.

bottom of page