After reading through the article, "Signs Panera Might Not Be Around Much Longer" I was able to come to the conclusion that this claim is both exaggerated and false. When reading the article a lot of the information came from customers who were unsatisfied by their food experience. Although this may be true, that doesn't mean that Panera Bread is on the decline. Also when searching through the article no where did the writer state any financial reports of how the company is doing financially. If the author had included this information then that would help back up their claim.
When doing some digging on the author of the piece I couldn't find any information surrounding if she had a connection with Panera Bread or if she had talked to anyone within the company previously. The only information that I had found about her was from the Mashed website. From the website it stated that she is an "avid foodie" and has an expertise in "food education, healthy eating, and dietary-specific needs". If the author had an expertise in business journalism or an inside source when it came to food and business then maybe the author would be more reliable.
I also wanted to do some digging when it came to the financials of Panera Bread. Although Panera Bread hasn't made their financial statements available to the public in a few years, I was able to see that they have been doing quite well since 2022. According to Matt Weller, whose "analysis is regularly featured in the Financial Times, Reuters, MarketWatch and The Wall Street Journal" stated that Panera Bread "impressive revenue figures, particularly the $4.8 billion in 2022 sales, and its significant digital sales hint at a healthy financial status". Through a reliable source I am able to see that Panera Bread is actually doing quite well financially which contradicts the article.
Overall the information is both false and exaggerated. Through the use of financial statements, a background check of the author, and information throughout the piece I am able to see that this article was used to attract the viewer but it didn't use any credible information to show that Panera Bread is on the decline.
https://www.mashed.com/author/elliebarbee/
https://www.forex.com/en/news-and-analysis/panera-bread-ipo-everything-you-need-to-know-about-panera-bread/#:~:text=Is%20Panera%20Bread%20Profitable%3F,at%20a%20healthy%20financial%20status.
https://www.forex.com/en/news-and-analysis/forex-com-analysts/matt-weller/