I stopped in to a Panera's Bread Restaurant chain tonight, with my wife, for a sandwich & salad.
I took my Notebook with me to assess various gun boards using Paneras FREE WYFI connection.

All the Gun Boards I tried to connect to were blocked.

This included:

Ruger Forum
S&W Forum
GLOCK Talk Forum
Rimfire Central Forum
Cast Bullet Forum
Gary Reader Forum

I tracked each one through the Blocking System and found that the reason for the blocking was due to "Weapons" Content.

Just thought I'd let everyone know - J.Solo

I used to buy bread from these people. No more. I will write a letter and drop it off next time I'm in town, and let them know they've lost my business as a result of this.

Their rye bread at least is over-rated. One of my neighbor's goes to New York once a month and is now smuggling fresh rye bread back in from Zabar's Deli, and so, Panera's only useful function in my life has totally ceased.

Thanks for the alert.


Bullseye

Had a sandwich at Panera's last week while carrying my S&W.
Wonder what would've happened if the manager somehow knew I was armed???

P.S. forgot to mention...I'm in C. FL

Interesting comment.
Here in south Florida I log in daily to S&W, Sig And Colt with No problems.

Might be the call of an individual manager. One local Taco Bell put up the CCW unwelcome sign, while the rest of them did not. Two or three emails to the higher-ups seems to have done the trick. The sign came down a couple of weeks ago.

I can't remember the last time a "weapon" website killed someone. I think I will send them an email reminder of that.

Frank

Here is the email I sent via their website.

I have become aware that the "free wyfi" offered has restricted access to several firearm discussion forums that I regularly visit. Upon investigating I learned that the forums were blocked due to "weapon content". I can understand restricting access to sites that present a clear and present danger however, I cannot remember the last time a firearm discussion or even a photograph caused injury to anyone. I am a responsible senior citizen who continues to legally avail myself of my Second Amendment rights. Your policy makes it clear that you do not support my exercise of my rights therefore I will no longer support your quest for corporate profits.

Sincerely,

Frank ...........

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sona si latine loqueris .

I don't eat there anyway, but sure won't start anytime soon either!!!

I'll cross them off the list

Sold a holster there to a friend last week, while carrying concealed. Didn't try to go online. I go to Starbucks for coffee anyway. They welcome people who carry.

I am not sure they welcome people who carry, but they have stated they really don't care to make an issue of it. They follow the laws of the state they are in. Here in WA I open carry into mine all the time. Almost sounds like a common sense decision from TPTB.

bob

Carried into a Panera the other day and on my way in & out specifically looked for a gunbuster sign, but didnt see one
(Not that it matters here in the Gunshine State anyway)

In FL the most they can do is simply ask you to leave

They wont let you access any site you want on the wifi they let you use for free?! Scandalous.

The restrictions are fewer and further between on my personal cell phone, so i use that internet.

No such restrictions at my local paneras here in pittsburgh; I always carry and regularly check out galleryofguns.com and this board while I am logged into their wifi

Panera coupons listed on the top of this page.

While we're boycotting let's include Progressive Insurance, betcha there's dozens or more folks here insuring with Progressive.

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Sure you did

Sorry guys. Their Cinnamon Crunch Bagels won't allow me to have a bad thought about them. I know it's not right, but for the past 10 years my stomach has complete control.
I feel shame.

OOOO don't get me started on Ins. Co's. IMHO if there were ever a group of folks that should be shot on sight it's them as a industry. And shooting them would be a blessing. I have dreams of using vise grips on them in a slow and deliberate fashion.

Good Email Frank. I'll send a similar one.

They are "St. Louis Bread CO." in our area and I have set many times and reviewed this very site while munching on an Everything Bagel, (or onion soup, cinnamon roll, apple struedel etc.). They are not posted, and are actually kinda nice to hang out in, what with all that classy music and pastries.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

They probably aren't even aware of it unless it's brought to their attention. They probably just buy a preconfigured setup from whomever they get their internet access through and don't manage it themselves. A lot of companies use WebSense, and gun sites are blocked by the default configuration. Doesn't mean the company is anti.

This will probably ruffle some feathers, but what is the big deal? So you can't access a gun forum on someone elses free internet while eating a sandwich?. OMG!

I think it's worse having to listen to people yacking on cell phones, especially the Blue Toothers who appear crazy talking to themselves.

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Still Running Against the Wind

What it amounts to, is that not all of the places likely use the same commercial wi-fi service provider. It just happens to be that the service that they use in that area will block those sites. It is likely that it is the service that blocks them, and not Panera specifically. It's the service that they use that needs to be targeted. What is the name of the service that blocked the sites? Send that specific information to Panera.

I would highly recommend that you ask them to change services to one that does not upset good customers, as possibly it may or may not be Panera making the decisions of which sites to block.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I have visitied Panera bread quite often where I live and in central Florida during a three day shooting course. I have never observed any signs prohibiting firearms in the establishment. The idea of carrying a concealed firearm is the element of surprise. I find Panera bread friendly and the food is great especially their coffee. I have never used their Wi-Fi but then again I do not carry my PC around.
Nick

To each his own, but I think my approach would be to speak with the manager and see if he/ she is aware of the situation. I would then request that they remedy the problem. As has been stated, some software that blocks porn, also blocks firearms websites. It may be that the gun related site blockage is just co-lateral damage.

It's almost as bad as Work. They blocked all the Porn and gun web sites. Now what are we gonna do all day?

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Still Running Against the Wind

It is possible the gun related websites are not the main target of the block. As has been stated, they could be tied in with all the other blocked sites. They probably have a pretty strict block set up. Could just be the store itself.. next time I'm their with my girlfriend I'll use her phone to see if mine has these places blocked.

Or maybe it is intentional. Perhaps they don't want people sitting in their restaurant looking at websites with guns, or weapons, or how-to guides on explosives. Maybe they don't want to hear from parents that their kid was in their restaurant using their wireless and came across content the parent does not approve of. It's their restaurant and their wireless, they can block everything but panerabread.com if they want to.

Personally I couldn't care less about what websites a restaurant does and does not allow me to use while on their wireless connection. I go there for the bread bowl soups... not the internet.

If you haven't seen the lists of businesses that are anti gun perhaps you should look it up. You'd be surprised..

You better not wear levis and talk on your AT&T phone while stopping for some ben and jerry's after seeing a Disney movie at an AMC theater.... That is five businesses guilty of anti gun actions. I guess you could stay home and watch HBO and enjoy some Sara Lee products after going online with AOL on your Gateway.. but then that would be four more anti gun businesses......

You can't even enjoy Spider Man or Iron Man anymore... Disney bought Marvel.

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- The Federalist #46 -

I got a very quick reply from the managing partner of my local Panera franchise. He apologized and informed me that the local franchise has no control over the wifi as all controls are set by the company. He did give me the wifi help numbers so that I could call direct and press the issue. He also gave up his direct contact number if I wanted to discuss it further. I am satisfied with his answer and will probably continue to indulge in the occasional cinnamon crunch bagel.

Frank

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sona si latine loqueris .

Thanks for two more antigun businesses I need to watch out for that I didn't know about before. Have you ever heard of Irish Alzheimers? That's where you forget everything but your grudges. People who don't know anything think that that's an ethnic slur. It is not. It is a compliment to those Irish (and others) who are smart enough to use the information available to them. It's really quite easy. I'm retired, and the only mental exercise I get is memorizing blacklists.

I've had business meetings in Caribou to discuss firearms related products and needed to show people holster and safe designs on different websites. I've never had a problem at Caribou.

I frequently go to Caribou and drink coffee and read various firearms forums.

If I can go to Caribou and do what I want, why should I go to Panera instead. Exactly, I SHOULDN'T.

That's fine, you don't. You are free to patronize the stores you want, just as they are able to provide internet access or not. Just like this forum, the owner does not want certain topics discussed. Should we then go elsewhere? It's not Paneras(or any other companys) obligation to provide unlimited internet acess. With the way their stores are packed around here I doubt they care.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Nor is it my obligation to give them money. I've never been in a vegetarian restaurant, and never will be. I have no obligation to spend my money on something I wouldn't feed to hogs.

As USAF385 says, if we boycotted every business that were anti-gun we'd be sitting home twiddling our thumbs. Might have to do it in the dark too, Lord only knows if the electric companies are anti-gun.
Then again maybe the mortgage company is anti-gun, where does that leave us?
Btw, I go to Panera's to eat, nothing more.

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Sure you did

Hey hey hey, lets not let facts get in the way of people getting fired up over nothing.

Even if they wanted to block gun sites, so what? You're there to eat overpriced bad food, not play on the internet.

I had a G/F take me there years ago, took her home later and stopped at McDonalds on the way home for something edible.

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I miss my 4546 the most.

I do believe in this High Tech age we live in, there are electronic gadgets such as Air Cards/Broadband where one can buy it themselves and use the Internet anywhere/anytime but of course it's not free

It has not been established that Panera is actually anti gun, just that their web access is filtered probably as others have stated. I have eaten there carrying a concealed weapon.

I am going to write a letter to Chick Fil a, as they are closed on Sunday and I must have Waffle Fries on Sunday

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Still Running Against the Wind

I feel like a dummy for asking, but whats wrong with Progressive?

I started with them because their rate was decent on a new car I was buying. Less than a week after I bought it, my car was hit in a parking lot. I called prog, they suggested a repair place, and the agent met me there. He looked at the damage, said he would put it down as not my fault, and my rates would not change.

A $900 bumper repair less my 250 deductible, and the ink was still wet on my policy. Ive got nothing but nice things to say about them.

Besides being virulently anti-gun

RightFaith: ACLU funded by Progressive Insurance CEO

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2326105820070823

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Sure you did

Ah geez.

'Peter Lewis, CEO of Progressive Insurance, recently gave the ACLU 8.5 million dollars to aid, among other things, in their war against Christmas and their defense of terrorism'

Thats as far as I could get before my eyes rolled out of my head.

Sorry for wasting your time. Ill google it. Thank you.



Back on topic, Im in central FLA, and here Panera doesnt block anything but the big one. Their Asiago Cheese is my sammich addiction.

A couple years ago my girlfriend dragged me into one of the Panera Bread places and she was like isn't this place so great, everything is clean and the food is so fresh! Well, near $20.00 or so later for 2 people just eating sandwichs and a side salad with unidentifiable greens that look like lawn clippings I was more hungrier than I was when I came in. I much would have rathered gone another 8-10 miles down the road to the old diner that I know is owned by the gun friendly where nothing has changed much since 1977 and for half the cost we could have had a real meal. I told my girlfriend I don't know why people eat at this panera bread place and she dismissed me as old fashioned and not with the times. Well the funny fact is that Panera Bread ended up closing and the Old Diner is still their.

Since we don't have a Panera's within a hundred miles, I can't join the boycott. I'm glad because I can't remember all the places I am already supposed to be boycotting because they are anti-gun, liberal, not conservative enough, serve fattening food, killed a whale, or cut down a tree.

Fri-Sun is tax free weekend in Tennessee for back to school and computer stuff under $1500.

Apple lowered the ridiculously high priced 27'' Mac to an absurdly high price of $1499.00 (model/processor change) so of course I hurried down to the local Apple store to 'preorder'. While I was there I ordered an iPad 3g and they tossed in a free HP printer. Happy camper.

While the sales guy was busy doing the order I sat down at one of their Mac displayes and tried to get to this site-- Access Denied

I thought about canceling the purchase... sorry guys... but I'm going Apple and am done with Windows.

Are these places actually 'anti-gun' or are companies using generic filters that exclude lots of stuff?

The web blocking is done by contractors who have generic packages all of which gratuitously block gun, weapon or any politically non-correct tropics. Would you want to be the manager of the restaurant where Lee Harvey Oswald bought his rifle over the internet? I doubt that the Panera manager is even aware that guns are blocked on the internet - he/she is worried about whether he will get decent tomatoes on the next shipment. Write a letter to the corporate suits, but do not confront some under employed manager just trying to survive the recession. My two cents.

I don't eat in our local one very much; I just don't particularly care for their food. However, I've always open-carried there with no worries at all. I haven't try to use my laptop there, but may the next time I'm in.

My local Panera only blocks Subway and Quiznos.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I was in a medical building today and couldnt access any S&W sites, ie: this forum... So I told them I would take my surgery elsewhere... jk. But when I wasnt able to get online I thought of this post......

If you have a local greasy spoon near, eat there instead.

Scatter'd, smother'd and covered...

Who wants a sandwich made with bread that's so tough you can plug tires with it anyway?

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Lost it all in a boat accident

There's one of these places less than a mile from our house, I went once, thought it was extremely mediocre and realized I didn't need to go back.

However, as someone else mentioned, if you don't patronize a business just because their beliefs don't mesh with yours, you're probably not going to patronize many businesses, especially if you're conservative. Unless a business is over the top on being anti-gun or uber liberal, such as Peter Lewis and Progressive Insurance, I try not get too wrapped up in the company's politics.

10 years ago i would not eat in a restaurant that did not allow smoking...........now look at where we are at !!!!

Wonder what they would do if you went to a porn site and started playing, very loud, a very graphic porn movie????

Good chance the content blocker had a generic default setting to block weapons sites- may not have been a conscious decision by Panera. I haven't eaten there for a long time, but my 21-year old daughter is a college student who has bounced around a number of part-time jobs in retail and fast food. She's currently working for Panera, getting plenty of hours at a decent wage (all things considered) and may get an Assistant Manager gig. So, they're okay in my book!

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LEO since 1981.

FWIW I'm posting this from my local Panera Bread.

Resurrecting an old thread after seeing this about Panera.

Panera Bread is asking customers not to bring guns into its restaurants. The request places it on a growing list of companies asking guests to refrain from toting firearms into their locations amid an ongoing nationwide debate about gun policy.

There's a poll in the link here if you'd care to share your opinion

Panera Bread asks customers not to bring guns to its restaurants

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Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?