Team Manager - Raleigh, NC

Panera Bread is a renowned bakery-cafe fast casual restaurant chain known for serving high-quality freshly baked goods, sandwiches, soups, salads, and specialty coffees. Established as a leader in the bakery-cafe segment, Panera has built a strong reputation for its commitment to warmth, inclusivity, and exceptional guest experiences. The company operates on the principle of making the familiar fantastic by continually enhancing its menu offerings and customer service standards while fostering a welcoming and supportive work culture. Panera’s leadership team plays a crucial role in upholding these values, ensuring each bakery-cafe reflects the company’s ideals of quality, community, and care.

Joining Panera as a Team Manager means stepping into a dynamic leadership role responsible for guiding the daily operations of the bakery-cafe while supporting and developing the team to deliver outstanding food and service. This position is designed for leaders who thrive in fast-paced environments and are passionate about inspiring others to excel. The Team Manager is integral to cultivating a culture of warmth, belonging, and growth, and is celebrated for their ability to motivate staff, maximize operational efficiency, and create memorable guest experiences.

The employment type for this role is full-time with competitive pay and eligibility for quarterly bonuses, reflecting Panera’s commitment to rewarding performance and dedication. One of the core benefits includes free on-shift meals and unlimited fountain beverages, which underscore the company’s focus on taking care of its employees. Additionally, Team Managers enjoy paid vacation, sick time, and holidays alongside comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and even pet insurance. There is further financial security with a 401(k) plan featuring employer match, demonstrating Panera’s investment in the long-term wellbeing of its leaders.

The Team Manager is expected to lead shifts by ensuring the highest food safety and quality standards are met, promoting a positive guest experience, and fostering long-term customer loyalty by creating engaging relationships. This role requires the ability to coach, inspire, and support team members toward exceeding sales, speed, order accuracy, and guest satisfaction goals while celebrating individual and team successes. Participation in the recruitment process highlights the leadership’s responsibility in shaping the team and maintaining Panera’s high performance culture.

Furthermore, Panera values career advancement and leadership development, offering tuition discounts and numerous perks and rewards to recognize team member contributions. The Team Manager is also a pivotal ambassador of Panera’s guiding values and behaviors—making people smile, learning and growing together, taking initiative, and working collaboratively to achieve shared success while having fun. This leadership role requires flexibility including availability for nights and weekends to effectively manage shifts and respond to shifting priorities in a busy bakery-cafe environment.

With a minimum age requirement of 18 years and a preference for candidates with over one year of restaurant management experience, Panera is looking for motivated individuals certified in ServSafe or those willing to obtain certification. The position demands physical capabilities such as lifting up to 25 pounds, standing and walking for extended periods, and the ability to communicate clearly in loud, fast-moving settings. A background check is also part of the hiring process to ensure a safe and reliable team environment.

Overall, this opportunity at Panera offers an enriching and rewarding career pathway for leaders committed to excellence, team development, and making a meaningful impact within one of America’s beloved bakery-cafe brands.