Unpopular Opinion: Panera Bread's Mac & Cheese Is Still Fire

If you thought mac & cheese couldn't be top-of-the-fold news, think again: Panera Bread is under a bit of fire this week after a TikTok video of an employee preparing a bowl of the chain's signature mac 'n' cheese went viral. In the video, Brianna Ramirez documents how bags of the cheesy goodness come frozen and are boiled (read: reheated) for serving. Panera has brilliantly crisis-controlled the information, asserting that freezing the appetizer makes it possible to avoid preservatives that don't align with their standards. Not only are some consumers grossed out by the revelation, but Ramirez has been fired from her minimum wage gig. Here's why I'm OK with all of it: For one, if anyone is truly disillusioned by the fact that Panera doesn't freshly prepare their food, get real. Secondly: The mac & cheese is still delicious. Sure, it's not the healthiest thing, but you're not dining at a fast-casual eatery for health reasons, now are you? Lastly, yes, the TikTok-er in question should have been sacked -- if she wanted to "expose" Panera, she shouldn't have left her face and name all over the video. That, and her manicure was truly not suited for the food industry.