Panera catering and Starbucks

[momma2boys]

Ds has to attend something tomorrow for school and we just found out that Panera is catering it. He also will have time before his presentation so they are going to walk to Starbucks. I don't know what Panera is serving but he will bring his own lunch. Are there any dangers with this as far as peanut or sesame? I know in restaurant there is but hoping this will be basic. Also, any problems with something like hot chocolate at Starbucks?

[Macabre]

I really cannot eat at Panera. 

A few months ago I was stuck at a mall for a few hours getting new tires.  Panera was the safest choice for me to get dinner.

I went in, and they did a great job of trying to make things safe.  I found one thing I could eat (soup), and they wrote "sesame allergy" on my ticket.  They washed hands and changed gloves before touching my stuff and didn't put bread on my plate. 

That said, I think I had an airborne sesame reaction (I think it was my second one).  I began to feel so ill.  It cleared up after I left. 

They tried; it didn't work for me. But my meal was okay.


That said, in your situation if he is eating his own food, I don't see a problem.  DS walks to Starbucks all the time.  He doesn't eat food there, but he has a lot of different coffees.  He is not treenut allergic anymore, and he is not allergic to sesame.  But I don't have problems at Stbx either (and I only drink there). 

[nameless]

Ah...I have found that Panera's PB cookies and Thai/peanut salad/sandwich are SUPER smelly. I've reacted (red hives/neck, itchy eyes) from being a closed room with their PB cookies at a work meeting. Some PB cookies don't bother me to be in the room with them, but there's are like gnarly smelly (I think they have chopped up peanuts in them too)

Folks at my workplace now know to make sure the Panera lunches DO NOT have any of their peanut dishes. Funny actually, the Panera CATERER manager knows! She's heard it enough that now she questions every order that comes from my college

So maybe check to see what they are bringing? Not sure if your child is smell sensitive. I sometimes am and sometimes not, but the Panera stuff does me in for some reason.

Adrienne

[momma2boys]

Ugh, hopefully no peanut stuff! His teacher is out today so I'm trying to figure out who I can call. He is actually taking a college course through the high school so this is a college project.  Guess I better see if someone there knows.

[hezzier]

We went to Starbucks in the fall to get hot chocolate...they said they cannot guarantee there isn't any cross contamination, just kept saying the same thing over and over.  Needless to say DS didn't have any.  I thought I might start to carry a hot chocolate packet in my purse so that I could just get hot water for tea and make it myself for him.  DS ended up getting a bottle of juice instead.

[CMdeux]

Yeah-- DD usually just gets an Izze if we go to Starbucks. 

[GoingNuts]

DS just has plain coffee or tea at Starbucks.  The most adventurous think he has is a latte.

Panera is a big no, No, NO - but he's bringing his own food.  That place is an allergy nightmare.

[momma2boys]

Email response ...

I completely understand your concern. We will bring in the lunches in boxes; each lunch will contain a sandwich, a bag of chips, and a cookie. I can't say with certainty, but it seems highly possible to me that there may be peanuts in the bakery area where they prepare the cookies. Additionally, one of the sandwiches will be an Asian Chicken Salad sandwich, so it is possible that there could be sesame seeds in the mix.

I do have an extra room reserved, so it would be possible for your son to eat privately. But it is possible that some of his classmates will come into contact with these items and could then pass an allergen along through contact.

I'm happy to help however I can to make sure that your son is safe! Please let me know what would

[momma2boys]

Be best. Sorry that cut off. Sounds like no peanut butter sandwiches or cookies just may contain. I told her he will be aware and if he feels it isn't safe will remove himself.

[nameless]

the asian chicken salad has almonds - you may not know til they show up what cookies they put in the boxes. That's just my experience --- unless Panera is specifically told the usual catering 'cookie' is a 'whatever we have extra of' cookie and the usually mix it up.

As long as he can eat in a separate room if bothered by any odors...and then everyone washes their hands - I think he'll be fine.

[lakeswimr]

Panera is not safe for sesame allergies in general.  I would not let my child eat anything unless you know the ingredients and that the food is safe from xcontam, etc.  As for starbucks, I think some of their drinks may have tree nuts so I'd be careful. We avoid that place. 

[momma2boys]

Thanks everyone, he was fine. There were no peanut butter cookies or other peanut products. He had a hot chocolate at Starbucks and texted me to tell me it was amazing.

[CMdeux]

   Excellent!  Glad it worked out okay.