Food and Culture: Panera Bread

Food has alternative connections for people living in different areas and with different cultural ties. In some cultures, meals are separated into multiple courses emphasizing the importance of spending time together with others while eating; in other societies meals do not hold a high significance in one’s day. To study this topic my friend, Kathleen, and I visited Panera Bread on a Saturday afternoon. We observed who was eating, how they were eating, what they were eating, the setting, and how these observations explain our American food values and culture.

Panera Bread is a casual café/coffee shop geared towards individuals and smaller groups. There was an assortment of different individuals at Panera when I visited: grandparents, grandchildren, couples, and individuals working on computers. The couples were engaging in full conversation, the individuals were working on computers, and the grandparents were spending time with their grandchildren.

Those on computers all exhibited the same behavior: a half eaten sandwich on the side, occasionally grabbing a bite while typing on the computer. My friend, Kathleen, noticed striking similarities between two different individuals working on computers at their own table; they each had a half eaten plate of food and an iced tea on the side, and they both took a sip of their drink at the same time! These two individuals are characteristic examples—eating while working—of the working class in our society. During the day, time to enjoy a meal is less valued in the working class; only the grandparents with grandchildren showed signs of cherishing the company they were with rather than the food eaten.  

Similar to the individuals on computers, all of the couples had matching behaviors. The couples sat at either tables for two or booths, rather than tables for four—even though there were plenty of open spots around. They engaged in conversation while eating, but left shortly after they finished. The grandparents and children spent the most time at Panera. They only had drinks—hot chocolate for the children—and were thus there to spend time together.

The only other individuals at Panera were the workers. They were dressed in matching green aprons with kaki pants and a nametag. There were distinctly two divisions of the workers: those behind the counter taking orders and those preparing the food. Rarely did someone come out past the counter other than to clean the tables. When we entered the restaurant, a worker greeted us and asked what we wanted to order.

When first walking into Panera we were allured by the pastries—tempting us to buy one. At Panera an order is placed at the cashier and food is picked up at a counter farther down when a name is called. Behind the cashier is a shelf full of fresh breads and bagels. On the wall behind, there is a full menu including calorie counts for each item. Our society is very much concerned with healthy options, forcing many restaurants to change their menus to display calorie counts. In addition, some options on the board included phrases such as low-fat mango smoothie. An article in the Bloomberg Businessweek states that the breads from Panera are “from dough that contains no unhealthy trans fats.” This article claims that Panera targets those concerned with health food.

Upon leaving, food is dumped into a trashcan and trays are placed on top (this is very common in fast-food restaurants). Personally, I don’t view Panera as a fast-food restaurant. Even though it is a popular chain for a quick and easy meal, the options are healthy, fresh, and more expensive than the typical fast-food chain. Choices include salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, and pastries. Panera also sells signature salads and sandwiches. These options are more expensive and “higher-class” which directly reflects our society. We indulge in items that appear luxurious. Some items include words such as Mediterranean giving off the sense of being foreign.

This “newer” style is reflected in the design of Panera. The entire area is clean and very few scraps of garbage are on the ground. The dining area is full of reds, oranges, and browns with cartoon illustrations in picture frames along the walls. The room is well lit with warm light coming from decorative lamps hanging from the ceilings.

The restaurant is designed to look and feel spacious with multiple areas separated by partial walls. Near the bathroom is a smaller dining area with two-person tables. At the time I went, only couples were seated there. The main dining area is full of booths, four-person tables, and two-person tables. Panera is meant for small groups and not large parties. The dining room is separated off from the cashier area to minimize the distraction of those ordering.

In a typical American café/restaurant/coffee shop, there will be people eating together while others will be eating alone and working. During lunchtime (or 3:00 P.M. when I went), time to enjoy a meal out is less cherished. Our society continually looks for the quick and easy places to eat while juggling around our busy schedules. Even though this is the case, grandparents—as shown when I went—still spend time enjoying a meal with their grandchildren. Panera Bread creates a warm environment for those who want healthier options or for those simply looking to relax and have a snack.

The Bloomberg Businessweek

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_16/b3980084.htm

Panera Health Food

Panera Health Information Link

I found an article that shows Panera targeting individuals who crave health food.

Food in Communities

Mary Ann O’Donnell and Sandra Cate explore the culture of food in different communities. Cate explores the different ways inmates create their own food and establish a community within the San Francisco County Jail. Ramen noodles are used to create spreads: a special meal the inmates create with whatever ingredients they have. These ingredients come from previous meals or from their own money, limiting an inmate’s creation.

These spreads have sparked innovation in inmates, allowing them to create their own special spread with their own name: Nacho Spread, Nutritious Spread, Sweat and Sour Spread, and Pie Guy Pie. The invention of the spread has allowed inmates to create a community within the jail. The inmates make spreads together; everyone puts in the same amounts of ingredients and gets the same amount out.  Jail food is nothing to rave about; the inmates view spreads as the desert to their meal. When dinner is served at four o’clock many inmates are hungry at night and then indulge in their creations.

This article was very interesting to read. I was amazed how much these spreads helped the inmates to overcome their addictions and to create friendships. It was also very interesting that some inmates still make spread when they get out of jail, even for their family. The spread has become a tradition to them.

Mary O’Donnell writes about food and culture in Shenzhen. Similar to the jail and spreads, throughout the 1980s, there was an inequality in food rationed between Shenzhen’s three different classes: Shenzheners, migrants, and locals. The Shenzheners were immigrants with a college-background and were thus able to buy and indulge in more expensive food. Early Shenzhen culture was full of inequality; individuals had to value self-sacrifice in order to be fed a decent amount. The story about Big Sister Liang’s sacrifice of water to fulfill her work quota for the day was very interesting. For the New Shenzheners, images of their hometown and culture have been passed on through food. In the Chinese culture, generations have passed with food ration inequalities but there is still the same culture being passed onto children.

These articles analyzed the role food plays in different communities. Whether it is in jail or in Shenzhen, food gathers individuals into communities. 

"Healthy" Advertisements

Sydney's essay

After reading Sydney's blog on food advertisements I noticed many similarities between her and my analyses. Health was the main topic found in Sydney's analysis on different tomato ads. This is very similar to the Subway ad I analyzed targeting health-friendly individuals. My advertisement focused on eating fresh while Sydney's focused more on the ingredients included in tomato sauce. These differences may be due to the fact that individuals eat the item right after they buy it at Subway, while tomato sauce is used to cook with and eat later. We both also found our ads were simple in design but full of meaning. She noticed simple colors in design which were also found in my advertisements. Overall, our different advertisements both support health as a main concern among individuals when choosing different food items.

Advertisement Critique

Today’s society is very much influenced by the food advertisements we see on televisions, billboards, and packaging. Advertisers use different methods to entice people to buy their food or to visit their restaurant. Advertisements are directed at groups of people for different reason: socioeconomic class, vegetarianism, organic lover, and so on. In order to appeal to these certain groups, companies focus on their overall message, color, word choice, and visuals when making their advertisements.

Subway commercials have always stood out to me; it might be their catchy slogan, “$5 footlong,” or the fact that they appear on the television more than other fast food restaurants. I analyzed two different subway commercials; even though they are for the same fast-food restaurant I found many differences involving who they are appealing to, their design, and their overall message.  

Choosing an audience is the first step in making an advertisement; audiences are extremely important since they are the ones who ultimately buy the product. In relation to food, audiences differ among their income level, health-food liking, or type of convenience they want—fast-food restaurant versus sit down. Advertisers need to designate what the overall message is to the chosen audience. When the purpose of the ad has been found out word choice, visuals, and colors need to be decided. Different styles can send different messages: bold versus light colors and smaller versus larger words. All of these tools are used to create the ideal advertisement; the different methods for different audiences can be seen through the two Subway advertisements I analyzed.

The first subway commercial I analyzed focuses on nutrition while appealing towards the health-friendly individuals. Their overall message—“eat fresh”—is displayed at the center of the ad below the name Subway. By placing this slogan at the center, with the different choices of subs around the sides, all attention is immediately directed at “eat fresh.” Other attempts to display nutrition are in the subs themselves; they are all filled with fresh vegetables and even one sub choice is called Veggie Delite. Besides the words “Subway eat fresh” at the center, each sub surrounding is given a name; this gives the observer a complete list of the choices Subway offers. The entire background on this advertisement is white which allows the subs and slogans to stand out. Many more colors are used in the subs themselves, giving a fresh, healthy lift to this ad.

                                                           

The second subway commercial I analyzed was directed towards the lower socioeconomic class. Subway is promoting their new deal of five dollars for a foot-long sub. The words on this advertisement tell the reader this offer can be obtained everyday for over eight sub choices. To appeal to their designated audience the most important message—“$5 Footlongs”—needs to be clearly displayed. These words are the largest and displayed directly in the center of the ad. The characteristic five-finger hand is in the background of the $5; this symbol, attached with $5, is known to the reader even before they read the Subway sign. Subway uses only four different colors in this advertisement: orange as the background, yellow to display the “new” sign, and words in green and white.  The background orange is shaded so the center of the advertisement is the lightest which emphasizes the words. The words are outlined in green making them stand out more. By using large words, simple colors, and the hand symbol, Subway is able to appeal to the lower socioeconomic class arguing that they have the best deal for their money.

      

A theme prevalent in both of the Subway advertisements is simplicity. Whether it is a few words, simple colors, or limited visuals, these ads are directly to the point. This is again directly related towards the chosen audience. With less money to spend, the lower socioeconomic class is only looking for food that would be light on their wallet. Displaying the company’s slogan gets the point across to the viewer that they are able to get a deal for their money if they come to Subway. For health-friendly individuals, the bright colors give a fresh feeling. The simple slogan “eat fresh” tells the observer directly that there are healthy options at their stores. Subway targets their designated audience for both advertisements very methodically through the simplicity in the ads.

Color, word choice, and design are carefully thought out in both ads, but there are also many limitations that I came across analyzing the ads. Both ads mentioned the eight choices of subs that one can find in a Subway, but neither of them mentioned some other options they sell such as breakfast food. These ads got their point across, but if an individual is unfamiliar with this fast-food restaurant they would only know that there are eight choices of subs. Including other (not-as-important) items in the background will clarify what Subway offers to the audience.


Based on these two advertisements, consumers value nutrition and the best deal they can get for their money. In relation to cheaper food, our society has changed to the fast-food route. Consumers are constantly looking for the quick option that is the best deal for their buck. Still in society, in relation to the first advertisement, healthy options are as ever important. These two advertisements focus in on a specific audience and alter the words, colors, and display of visuals in the ads to grab the audience’s attention. Based on these two ads Subway targets multiple audiences trying to generate as much income as possible. Advertisements may look simple on the outside, but the meaning hidden inside is thought out with intricate detail. 

The Art of Advertising

Freedman and Jurafsky use potato chip advertising to show the relationship between food, language, and socioeconomic status in their article, Authenticity in America. They investigate the different ways an item (food) is presented (language) to a socioeconomic class. These variations come from high-flautin, health, distinction, and authenticity. For lower-economic classes, words describing the foods are less complex. In Freedman and Jurafsky’s study the expensive bag of chips had a reading level of eleventh grade while the less expensive bag of chips had an eighth grade reading level. Advertisers tend to complexify labels and packaging for more expensive items designated for higher socioeconomic classes. Another item Freedman and Jurafsky focus on is the presence of health facts on packages. I was surprised by the fact that health was mentioned six more times on expensive bag of chips than inexpensive bags. These facts, on health or authenticity, target different audiences. Distinction, their final example of language, advertisers use to differentiate one brand. This is done by comparisons or linguistic negations. Advertisers of food companies are appealing to different economic classes through language. The advertisements depend upon the complexity of the words, the authenticity of what is said, distinction, and use of health words. Overall, Freedman and Jurafsky argue that language is a means to target different economic classes.

Their processes of food advertisings are also seen in grocery store labels. Lakewinds—a grocery store near my house—targets middle to upper economic classes. Their logo includes the words ‘natural food’ underneath the name Lakewinds. Health, one of Freedman and Jurafsky’s principles of language, is used here to appeal to higher socioeconomic classes. Grocery stores also use their paper and plastic bags as a way to advertise their store. Another store near my house, Lund’s, incorporates grapes and bananas into their label on the bag to appeal to higher economic classes; fruit implies healthy eating and more expensive items. Whether it is individual food items or grocery store labels, language is used by advertisers to target specific socioeconomic classes.

Food Fabulous Food

Food is more than just a part of life. Dinner is a time to gather around the table to spend time with family and to indulge over the food one just prepared. Cooking is just one way to enjoy food in one’s life. I associate food with my family: the way we gather around the table, share cooking secrets, and give food to others. Food’s significance in my life appears in different cultural, social, familial, and geographical ways.  

Meals are times to spend with family and discuss what went on during the day. The American culture has changed over time from gathering around the dinner table to grabbing food on the go or eating in front of the television. These shifts are seen from both sides of my family. My mother grew up in a very traditional household where dinner was served at a specific time each night and all were in attendance. My father, on the other hand, rarely had organized meals with his family during his teenage years. Between sports and other activities my grandmother was either in the kitchen or driving around my dad’s four siblings. I grew up the way my mother grew up: gathering around the dinner table and discussing how our day was at school. We juggled around schedules with my sister and I both in activities but always managed to share dinnertime together.  This is extremely important to me. Food is a means for my family to get together and share the important details about how our day was. Whether it is laughter, stories, or just enjoying the food prepared in front of us, family meals are cherished when we are all together.

Sharing dinner together is just one of the traditions that I associate with food. Many of these traditions are surrounded by the holidays. Every Christmas Eve my family eats dinner overlooking the mountains at Keystone Lake. Our traditional meal is honey-baked ham, ready-to-go mashed potatoes, and vegetables; the altitude in the mountains makes cooking very difficult—hence, instant mashed potatoes—but without flaw, we always delight in the same meal. Before we head up to the mountains we make Rice Chex, Wheat Chex, Corn Chex mix (a family favorite); this helps prepare us for the sixteen-hour car drive from our house to the mountains. Even though these traditions are surrounded by food, the important things are the memories made and time spent together as a family.

My mother started sharing her baking secrets with me when I was very little. The first experience I remember is spreading flour all over the floor and myself while making homemade pizzas and baking chocolate-chip cookies. My family is famous for our banana chocolate chip bread and hot chocolate mix; mainly my friends just remember that we are the family with Tupperware containers solely for Nestle chocolate chips (normal and mini sized!). The love for chocolate started with my grandfather and has been passed on since. When my mother and sister went overseas to Europe they brought back real Swiss chocolate that melted in your mouth. This love for chocolate will not end with my sister and I but will be passed on through generations.  

Anything baked with chocolate makes the perfect present. One year for Mother’s Day I saw a hunk of dark chocolate and immediately bought it for my mother; this chocolate was not used to take a bite off of but more to bake with. The thought of giving her something to make her laugh and enjoy was the most important. Our chocolate recipes are not just for my family to enjoy, but to share with friends. I bake my friends a loaf of banana chocolate chip bread whether it is to celebrate their birthday, to comfort them during a loss of a family member, or purely for the enjoyment of seeing a smile on their face. Food is meant for celebration, comfort, or just simple enjoyment.

During the summer, my family constantly stops by a farmer’s market to gather fresh vegetables to cook on the grill or berries to serve over ice cream. Once in a while we will head to the downtown Minneapolis farmer’s market for a much larger selection of flowers, vegetables, bread, honey, and many sweets. Indulging in fresh locally grown food is very important to my family. We prefer buying food that travels little distance to get to us. Unfortunately, by living in the Midwest, we have to buy fruit during the winter that traveled long distances.

Food’s last main significance in my life is to relieve stress. When cooking dinner or baking bread I am able to eliminate all other distractions—homework, sports, application deadlines…— and focus on the things that I love to do. When baking, I focus on what is in front of me rather than what outside thing needs to get done.

Food carries much significance in cultural, social, familial, and geographical ways. I associate food mainly with my family; we cook together and spend time talking about our day at the dinner table. Eating dinner together may seem of little importance to others but to me it is a way to spend more time with my family. When I am away at college I am unable to have these family moments so I enjoy them all the more when we are all together. The flavor and texture of food I eat is important, but I am much more grateful for whom I am with than what I am eating.