Panera Bread in North Attleboro
1250 Washington Street
North Attleboro, Ma 02760
Phone: 508-695-5568
http://www.panerabread.com/
Wednesday while traveling in North Attleboro, Amanda, Tony and I stopped at Panera Bread for some lunch. We all love the fresh food Panera Bread serves; yet I found this Panera Bread is only partially wheelchair accessible just like all the other Panera Breads I’ve been to because the pick-up counter is not wheelchair accessible for it is way too high.
There are plenty of handicap parking spaces in the shopping plaza parking lot. There are two sets of entry doors you will need help with opening for neither set of doors is automatic.
This Panera Bread has their typical signature style interior; with a cashier counter where you order your food; a special drink counter where you can order one of their specialty drinks; a pick-up counter where you pick up your food; a self serve beverage counter with coffee and fountain drinks; a dining area with accessible tables and some inaccessible booths; a fireplace and free wireless internet access.
The front countertop where you place your order is of a good accessible height for my wheelchair. The pastries which are placed on this countertop are easy to see while seated in my wheelchair; as you can see my friend Tony checking out the delicious pastries :-) The cashier was friendly, courteous and kind.
The counter where you pick-up your food order is NOT wheelchair accessible for it is way too high for a customer in a wheelchair to reach; we approximate the height to be about 4 feet tall. The employees behind the counter can’t even see me because the top of my head doesn’t reach the countertop. The pick-up counters in all the Panera Breads I’ve been to violate the ADA and
AAB/MA – Massachusetts Architectural Access Board regulations which requires a counter to be no higher than 36″.
The self-serve coffee machine and the self-serve soda fountain are a little high but manageable for me to reach. Inside seating consists of some small booths that are not wheelchair accessible yet there are plenty of accessible tables. All the tables are of a perfect height with plenty of room to wheel between the tables.
The restrooms are spacious, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant. The pipes under the sink are covered; there is plenty of space next to the toilet for your chair; the safety grab bars are set perfectly; the faucet, soap dispenser and hand towel dispenser are within my reach.
I give Panera Bread in North Attleboro THREE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Two Stars, they would need to install automatic entry doors so a person in a wheelchair can enter independently; and lower the height of the counter where you pick-up your order so a customer in a wheelchair can independently get their food.
February 6th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Hi Kenny, I brought my brother who is in a wheelchair to this Panera Bread and found the same problem. When our lunch was ready, the cooks couldn’t even see him sitting in front of the pick-up counter. I’ve been to other Panera Breads and think they all have this high pick up counter. It must be the design they use in all of their restaurants.