barista

team member

cashier

kitchen team member

shift manager

Kung Fu Tea

I worked at the Kung Fu Tea in the Mandalay Bay Shoppes Location in Las Vegas. I started the job when it first opened in the summer of 2022. This was my very first job. It was alright at first, not very busy. The pay was horrible. The managers were highly unprofessional as well. They tried to get their employees involved in their issues with the shareholders of that KFT location. I quit originally because I wanted to focus on school. This year (2024) I decided to go back to work at this KFT location as I was already familiar with how everything worked and I was looking for an extra job for the summer.  I had heard there were new shareholders and new management so I was optimistic. However, this turned out to be the worst mistake returning to this job. One week after I started working here again, Management decided that we weren't "busy enough" to put two people on shifts. This is a problem because in the summer this particular location is consistently busy as Mandalay Bay constantly holds conferences and sports events. I was severely underpaid for a two-person job. There would be long lines waiting while I was rushing alone to get orders done. The teas would run out and I would constantly be running out of material. It was horrible. Not to mention there's some issue with the sewage system at this location as well so there would be constant flooding. Juggling all this was hard and I had brought this to the manager's attention while at the same time handing in my 2 weeks notice.  Also, the AC is broken in the area where this KFT is located as well as in the back kitchen. So we are all sweating bullets while working. The pay is not worth all the work put into this job. With how much they are making per day, our wages should be higher. If they aren't able to put 2 people on shift at LEAST pay more than the minimum. 

As a Barista, you are required to memorize the recipes of all drinks which can be quite stressful but manageable. In addition to memorizing recipes and making drinks, you must also work the cash register, pack drinks, and clean the dishes and workspace. The amount of work can be a lot at times with the number of customers coming in and out, but once again it is manageable. The management on the other hand is unpleasant. The weekly schedule would be sent out at unpredictable times during the weekend making you wonder when you would have to work that week. Also, management would either take a long time to respond to emails or not respond at all. The communication between the employees and management is lacking and barely there. They do not even tell you where you are supposed to contact them, so reaching them was always confusing because of the uncertainty of where your email was going to. I have been employed at Kung Fu Tea for almost a month now and have worked five days and a total of 20 hours, but have NOT RECEIVED ANY PAY since the time I started working there despite them telling me that I would be paid biweekly. The other employees are professional and fun though. They are usually there to guide you while you are training and help you understand the different skills you need in order to make a drink. The hardest part of the job was contacting management and memorizing the recipes since there were many numbers to remember. The most enjoyable part was the actual creation of the drinks since it is fun to mix ingredients together and to use the shaker. I was not given the respect that management had promised me.

If you work they pay you, but they’re terrible with communication. I don’t recommend working here. They expect a lot from you as a Barista and it’s a fast paced environment with heavy work load when it’s busy. Some customers are extremely rude. I sent countless emails and made phone calls with no responses. It’s like they forgot I was working there. Schedule was all around the place and I couldn’t contact any of my managers. They made me switch locations and told me that they eventually didn’t have “time” to train me despite how hard I was working and compliments from my coworkers. Why hire me in the first place if you had no room? Now they are still urgently hiring. I’m glad I at least got paid. They only pay with checks, no direct deposit. Since I only got to work at MOST 8 hours a week, I had to drive to the store to pick up my check. After I stopped working it took about a month for my last check to arrive in the mail. Some of the staff are really nice but they’re not in charge of what goes on. I had a few coworkers who were very condescending and shunned me. The work environment is mostly clean but very small and there are flies. The dress code is very flexible, you just need a black shirt.  Do not work here if you want a stable job. If you don’t constantly bother them about a problem they will walk all over you. I loved making drinks and learning my duties as a Barista. Thankful for the experience but I will never apply here again. It’s a shame, I really enjoyed the drinks here. 

The first days I was excited. Super excited because I really liked boba. But later on I noticed there was favoritism going on. Learning the math was easy but sometimes they kind of confused me by saying what if this and what if this. And I was like uhm. But because I’m good with math I got that easily down. Learning the process on how to make the drinks was what really had me messed up. I followed the recipes that were put up. 1.5 sugar, 1.5 scoop of milk powder A or B ice and then whatever tea it was. Seemed pretty easy. Until I was told I was doing everything wrong. So I asked what specifically and they just said everything was wrong but I never got a compliant from any customer saying their drink was bad. So because apparently I did everything wrong I switched to cashier. Thinking it would be easier. And it was. But because they never corrected my mistakes they just told me to look at them and I did EXACTLY what they said. But I noticed that some other baristas would make the same mistakes but they never were correct. But as soon as I did one little mistake they pointed it out. And I was going to put in my two weeks but because they got to me first I was fired. And they basically said that I took long to get up to their standards, said that they always had to look after me, and they didn’t want me to waste my time and whatever else they said. Honestly I don’t think I did anything wrong but it’s whatever. I just hope they get better at training their employees instead of expecting them to be picture perfect.

This Kung Fu Tea location is lacking in good management. The training process in order to make drinks takes around 4-6 months to complete, since training is only allowed in the presence of management, and management is never there. This becomes an issue for the team, because nobody is able to progress over a long period of time.There were also many building problems including leaks, flooding, and broken sinks. This establishment does not follow proper healthcare sanitation methods, and trains employees on what to say if ever faced with inspection. Another issue with this establishment was their unsafe temperatures. Air conditioning was out during the summer, and temperatures reached unsafe conditions in the morning when preparing. Management at this location does not pay overtime. Management only paid employees regular pay for overtime hours through another method of payment so the hours were not calculated. Does not allow paid time off or sick time for full time employees. Unfair evaluation methods using only peer reviews due to no management presence to properly evaluate employees. The only thing that made this place great was the team. They have a great team that is very inviting and fun to work with.

I really liked my time here at KFT and I plan to return at some point. My manager was very supportive of my decision and overall listened to my concerns. At times though, management did not make things happen. Broken fridge? Out of an ingredient? Need to order some specific item? They will “get to it” but never really follow through. That’s my main complaint I suppose. My coworkers were all pretty cool and I do miss them. Even though this job gets very busy in the summer, as long as you are a hard-worker and follow basic protocols, you will be recognized and acknowledged. Pull your own weight, but still have fun. Overall great environment. I don’t like the solo scheduling during off season because the customer flow can vary and management might not listen very well to your concerns regarding scheduling, but sometimes they will. It’s odd, but definitely not the worst place I worked at. 

Get to work at 11:45 to open the store by 12pm. I have to make sure all the necessary ingredients and toppings are out front and tea/boba is made on time. 
Then I have to check the refrigerators for what we are low on, and tell the kitchen what they have to make today. 
As customers come in, I help them pick drinks based on their likes/dislikes and make drinks in a timely manner.

The environment is relaxed, and the vibe fresh. Most of our customers are college students, and most of our employees are young women, so we tend to have many friendly chats.

One of the hardest part of the job is putting up with a boss who doesn't know how to make drinks, but thinks he does. It's tough to have to correct him constantly. Especially if/when he is explaining a drink incorrectly to a customers.
 It's also frustrating to deal with the new lids for our cups. They rarely seal properly anymore.

The best part of the job is that I have good coworkers and we get to drink tea all day!

If you are a college student looking for a part time-full time job, you will most likely enjoy this job. I had  a great management team and my coworkers were amazing. The work environment between us was always positive. I worked at Kung Fu Tea for almost 3 years. I never had any issues with scheduling or work-life balance. The only issued I had was with the actual company itself. I do not like the way it markets itself. The employees always tried to listen to what customers wanted. The menu of recipes we had to learn would only increase, possibly close to 100 recipes. More than half the customers didn't like or nobody ever ordered. The system we used was never fully working and never up to date. We would run out of ingredients at least once a week and had to wait for shipment which was only once a month. I personally do not find the drinks appealing at all, from the pictures on the menu and social media, to the actual flavors of the drinks. I hope in the future that the company will move forward with the marketing and design aspects to attract more clientele. 

All of the staff is friendly, even to new workers. It's easy to make friends and there's no sense of seriousness at all. It can be a little stressful on weekends and there will be the occasional uncooperative customer, but that's to be expected of a popular store. Other than that, usually on weekdays, it's quite slow. Everything is quite relaxed, and coworkers are always open for chatting. Management is also quite good. Managers help make drinks, and schedule shifts evenly and fairly. Although they can be slightly laisseiz-faire with their management. It isn't necessarily a bad thing. Managers are never distant, but also don't interfere much. When working on weekdays be prepared to be on your feet almost constantly. Managers work hard to help at any time on busy days. On slower days, feel free to check your phone or sit if there are no customers inside. Overall a wonderful place for a first job or for bubble tea enthusiasts.

Acquiring a permanent job at Kung Fu Tea is very unlikely for anyone despite their abilities and persistence as if corporate draws names from a hat, randomly. Despite your pace, they are most likely to remove you from the shift sheet regardless. Employees receive their schedule every Sunday so it's unpredictable as to when they will have to work. On the other hand, my coworkers were very helpful and understanding even after I made multiple mistakes. In opposition, people at headquarters were quite unforgiving. After working at KFT for 4 weeks, they removed me off the shift sheet without a warning. I texted and emailed headquarters but received no answers. Only when I reached out about my missing paycheck, they still failed to give me a proper explanation. Please do not work at Kung Fu Tea. Save your energy and apply somewhere else. Thank you. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Barista 54 salaries reported	$15.61 per hour
Team member 3 salaries reported	$16.63 per hour
Cashier 1 salary reported	$14.50 per hour
Kitchen team member 2 salaries reported	$16.44 per hour
Shift manager 1 salary reported	$16.50 per hour

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