I work in the heart of Chicago's bustling financial district, and there are at least 3 Corner Bakery stores within walking distance of my office. They seemed to take the Panera idea and push it just that much further, but over the past 2 years they've gone through a major transition in service, which, I think helped to streamline the utter confusion people used to face when trying to order.

You used to have to wait in up to 3 or 4 different lines for your food, depending on what you ordered (soup, salad, pasta, etcetera). That was definitely frustrating, but I'm not sure their new way of food ordering and pick-up is that much better. The obvious choice would have been to go cafeteria style, but I would venture a guess that their marketing people thought that that would take the "up" out of their up-scale image. . .not to mention their up-scale prices. Be prepared to spend about $7 on a light breakfast with coffee and $10 on lunch.

Their alternative was to let you order from the cashier and then be handed a number. If seated, you put your number up on a holder on your table and your food comes out to you in a seamless process. If ordering on the run, however, this number system can be a little annoying. As my epinions colleague, Leens, has kindly mentioned, they do bring the food to you but while waiting for a to-go order it is still very hectic.

Part of the problem is that they incorporate the supreme capitalist, Adam Smith's notion of division of labor to a point at which their right hand (cashiers) have no clue how the left hand (kitchen staff) operates. I've eaten many a pasta carbonara without my beloved peas and a few commuters sans my beloved well done eggs as a result.

It could be something as simple as making a more flexible menu. With the advent of the low-carb diet, many chain restaurants such as Salad Spinners and Qdoba have taken an ingredient bar approach to food service which I personally adore. Corner Bakery's menu requires any subsitutions or specifications to be painstakingly typed in to be sent to a perplexed kitchen staff member. Yes, I know. I'm totally the Sally in When Harry Met Sally, but I think more and more people are.

Corner Bakery's bread and butter (so to speak) here in Chicago is their catering and delivery service. All of our board and committee meetings are catered by Corner Bakery and our staff loves their sandwiches and cookies.

Their menu includes typical breakfast fare, including my favorite - the Commuter breakfast sandwich. This breakfast sandwich consists of scrambled eggs, tomato and cheddar cheese on a croissant. Word to the wise - their eggs can be too juicy for their croissants, so you may want to ask for yours well done. I also enjoy the fruit parfait with an assortment of berries which have a consistency that lies about halfway between fresh and compote. The parfait is layered with a sweet vanilla yogurt and granola mix. They also manage to make a mean breakfast potato, a rare feat for a chain breakfast restaurant. Even my beloved LePeep fails me there.

The menu also features about six or seven staple sandwich, salad and pasta dishes for lunch. Sandwich trays are great for meetings, as Corner Bakery has just about everything from tuna salad to roast beef and turkey. I'm a big fan of the chicken arugula sandwich which is served on a hard french roll. I love the fact that they don't drench their sandwiches in condiments. Corner Bakery's weakest sandwich and salad is their D.C. Chicken Salad which is totally inconsistent from store to store and usually yeilds more apples than chicken.

Their signature ingredient is an assortment of tasty fresh breads (listed below), including the popular Olive Ciabatta as in kalamata olives. Their paninis are excellent, if a bit greasy.

Overall, though, Corner Bakery is a delightful stop on the way to work for a coffee and a commuter, and makes an excellent choice for punctual catered orders for meetings. The last thing anyone wants to worry about at a board meeting is the food, and we've never had to worry with Corner Bakery. They are also somewhat involved with the community here, which gives them an additional star in my book. They've made in-kind donations of food and hot chocolate for open houses and other events, and I love them for that.


Signature Fresh Breads
Olive Ciabatta
Cinnamon Raisin
Brioche
Harvest
Onion Rolls
Raisin Pecan
Sourdough Pretzel
Steakhouse Rye
Poblano Cheese
White Sandwich
White Rye

Corner Bakery Catering Information
From their website: Corner Bakery Catering baskets are designed for 8 or more guests. Our beverages are available in individual and group servings. Catering orders come with all necessary plates, cups, utensils, napkins, serving utensils and condiments.

While we request 24-hour notice for all catering orders, we can cater to your last minute needs. We appreciate 2 hours notice for same deliveries and a 1 hour notice for pick up orders.

All of our food is prepared to order, therefore cancellations are only accepted if made by 4 pm the day before a scheduled weekday delivery and 24 hours in advance for weekend orders. All other cancellations will be subject to a 50% charge. Our minimum delivery order is $50.00. There is a 10% delivery charge for all deliveries and a minimum delivery charge of $5.00. Our catering attendants will unpack and set up your order at your request. All coffee cambros will be picked up by the end of delivery day.

We gladly accept Visa, Master Card, American Express and Diners Club. Please ask a catering representative about our house accounts. Corner Bakery Catering is available in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Southern California and Washington D.C.

For More Information
Corner Bakery Cafe
6820 LBJ Freeway
Dallas, TX 75240
800-983-4637

Also see:
Wishbone
Le Peep











Recommended: Yes