barista

store manager

assistant manager

assistant store manager

shift leader

Scooters Coffee

After being a barista at Scooters Coffee for well over two years, I can say with certainty that this is one of the worst jobs anyone can put themselves through. 

Training is an absolute joke. Thankfully, I started when the store was new so my coworkers and I all struggled a bit, but when new people are brought on, it’s extremely stressful for all parties involved. A new barista is usually given a few shifts where they are treated as an ‘extra’ person, who works close with a trained barista. After those initial ‘training’ shifts, the new barista is treated as a fully trained one on the schedule and oftentimes, are alone with only one other person. If you’re the person scheduled with the new barista, good luck! You are basically soloing everything. Not only will you have to do all of your own chores, but also you’ll have to teach the new barista how to do literally everything. Also, might I add, you don’t get any type of extra compensation for the extra work. It eventually becomes an expectation of all baristas to train someone so prepare for that I guess. If you’re not able to catch on fast, your hours are bound to be cut and many coworkers will probably complain about your slowness. Scooterversity is the training model used when learning and that is also a complete joke. It’s very finicky and constantly crashes, the videos are not helpful at all, and the worst part is that you are expected to complete Scooterversity lessons outside of work for no compensation.

When working at Scooters Coffee, expect a stressful and chaotic environment where tensions are high and coworkers/management are constantly in a bad mood. Managers are constantly pushing for ‘faster and better times,’ creating an atmosphere where many baristas are handing out sloppily-made drinks and encouraged to do so. Many times I’ve been on blenders and the manager on window would exclaim, “Faster, faster! Hurry up. Pour!!” At first I thought that this emphasis on time was just to push all of us to do our very best. Ha, no. Management get bonuses based on the store’s performance (good reviews, fast times, etc.) so it feels really ingenuine. Personally, I would much rather have a 5-minute-wait for a good quality drink than be given a sloppily drink made in a minute. Speed means nothing if the product you are delivering is not good quality. 

We’ve had several managers come and go and while I think many of them were problematic, I can’t say I blame any of them for leaving. If there’s any problem or issue, they are the ones that the store is expected to call. Many times, management would have to come in outside of work and deal with whatever the problem was. I can’t imagine how stressful that would be. I guess that’s probably why they were constantly angry. One of the worst parts about Scooters is the culture. We put on this happy, go-lucky front but behind the scenes, coworkers were constantly talking about each other behind their backs. Management would oftentimes feed into this drama, creating such a toxic work environment. No matter how good of a worker you are, how hard you try, your name will be slandered and you’re bound to be degraded. This could be truthful for any job but it’s especially a problem at Scooters Coffee. Favoritism is a problem. Nepotism is a problem. Constant miscommunication amongst everyone. Schedule would sometimes come out the day/couple days before the following work week.

At our location, we didn’t get breaks and were told to just sit if there was down time and your chores were complete. You get a small discount (30%), but can only use the discount at the Scooters you work, which is incredibly inconvenient. Honestly, the actual job of making drinks or greeting customers is the best part. I really enjoy the actual creation of drinks and interaction with well-mannered customers, but almost everything else about the job makes it unbearable. There were so many days I would cry after my shift after being degraded or blamed for something outside of my control. No matter how much I did, I never felt any appreciation from anyone.   If there’s any other type of coffee shop where you live, try applying there before Scooters. I couldn’t recommend this job to anyone I know.

I was really excited to start working there, the manager had set it up to have an amazing environment during our interview and said I would fit right in. When I started training, I wasn’t really given any training, multiple times through ought the week they left me alone in a middle of a rush, leaving me on the most complicated station like blender alone for more than an hour while they sat in the back. I felt I was a burden anytime I asked for help on a recipe. My first day there, doing paperwork, they flat out told me to fill containers with heavy base without telling me how to do it, and I made a mess everywhere. The assistant manager, and all other employees aside from a few, made fun of me for not being able to download the training app, with the assistant manager straight up saying to the other trainee “well I guess I have to ask if you’re able to have the app now because of some people.” Infront of my face! They all made it seem like it was friendly joking, but whenever I spoke or asked anything most employees besides three people always responded with attitudes. One day the manager wasn’t there but the assistant manager was, I was finally able to get the apps needed for the job, and I was downloading them, not using my phone for anything more, and throughout the whole day I was cleaning and checking off the list of given tasks. At the end of the day I asked what I needed to do, I was told to take out the trash while they were pointing to two separate trash cans, after taking care of those trashes I asked if there was anything else, they then pointed to another one I had previously taken out, I asked in a genuine manner if it needed to be taken out, which they then replied it was needed before close, which I then proceeded to take it out while they LAUGHED at me. I responded it wasn’t funny, before taking care of my business, and then returned home to a text from the manager listing out rules to go over with phones and with respecting baristas, without asking me about the situation that had gone down. They ran out of EVERYTHING that same day, no espresso beans, no Oreos, no sugar cookies, nothing, absolutely nothing. I was let go because of not responding to baristas and my attitude just after my training, but I was never given a chance to sit down or talk, I was never asked what happened, and I have responded with nothing but eagerness to do my job. They’re team is full of bullies aside from a few baristas, the manager always gave me attitude when I asked her what to do or where I was, pushing me off for upwards of ten minutes at the beginning of each shift. They don’t give proper training, and they’ll make fun of you the first day you start!

First things first: My experience is specific for ARC Holdings, which operates in DFW, Omaha NE, and Des Moines IO. 
Pros:
When I first began it was a fun and relaxed place to work, and making drinks was fun. The workload itself is pretty easy, especially if you're not lazy. Serve customers, be friendly, and clean the store. Take good care of your work area and you shouldn't have many problems, and you'll likely have plenty of downtime on your shift to be on your phone or do classwork.
Training is simple, the job wants you to be fast-paced, but that depends on your store. If you want to learn how to be a barista, this is a start, but it's not about artistry here. Most stores are drive-thru only, speed is one of the most important factors, and the recipes are simple. The machines are super-automatics, meaning you press a button and it pulls the shots, you press another button and it steams the milk. Again, easy work but not very artful.

Cons: As a barista, you'll be making somewhere between $10-$12 an hour plus tips. Although they're supposed to be giving you digital tips, that hasn't happened for months, so don't count on that. Cash tips are split each shift among baristas, and managers shouldn't be taking any, so if you're at a fast store, that could be pretty nice, otherwise, only expect about another $1 per hour in tips. 
More about pay, they've been sending out paper checks since the beginning of 2023, and have had some problems with them bouncing. My confidence isn't high when the company is running into problems paying their employees. It's shady when they keep giving you a runaround on timelines for things to be done for you. The owner is very hands-off so don't expect much help from him. 
This brings me to management. There are some really wonderful people working within the company, and then there are some who are really not. Some will definitely be the types to care about their employees, whereas more seem to just try to cover for themselves while doing the minimum. The chance to be promoted is there, but the schedule is demanding for managers, and the incentives are lacking for anything lower. Managers are essentially on-call 24/7 and are expected to pick up any of the slack. The regionals are spread thin across their respective markets. 
If you're looking for an easy job, a starter job, or caffeine perks, this might be a good opportunity for you. This is not a long-term company for 90%  of the people who end up working here. It had its good times, but ultimately it's left a bitter taste that I don't think will be leaving me. 

My overall view of working at Scooter’s as an employee is not good. The job itself is great, but the management/rules is what ruins the experience.

We are told to be super fast and friendly and get in trouble for not getting an order out in 45 seconds or less, when the espresso shots alone take 30 seconds to pull. We are expected to do tasks above our pay grade and will get written up if a simple team member doesn’t do a shift lead/manager duty. 

The entire system at Scooter’s coffee does NOT work. We are told to stay in assigned stations but if someone needs help we get in trouble for trying to help someone out when they need it, even if it will take longer than 45 seconds for one person to do the task.

The window/order taking position is overworked. You are expected to immediately greet the customer (even if occupied) you are definitely not allowed to say “I’ll be with you in just a minute”. You also have to type in the order, make any food, take payment, hand out orders, and talk to the customer (even if they obviously don’t want to have small talk, they are on the phone, etc.). This does not work simply because when you’re busy, you are forced to cut off someone talking to you at the window to take an order, which may seem rude, or make the person ordering wait until you can immediately take the order.
Multiple times the employees have had to ask what the person ordered when they arrive at the window because we couldn’t possibly wait 10 seconds to finish our task before taking an order. This adds even  more time onto getting the order out the window.

On top of the broken system, there are no breaks. Even if you have an 8+ hour shift, you are not guaranteed a break, or even a snack. The dress code is strict to an extent. All black shirt, jacket, and jeans/slacks, red Scooter’s apron, etc. No hoods allowed on clothing, no free attire given except 1 t shirt and apron.

You are also expected to reply to the 30 group chat messages they send a day, even on your days off. 
Overall, this is the most uptight place I have ever been employed, and I do not recommend this job. 

I’m on month nine and I wish I never started this job. I think the largest contributor to ruining the job for me was the staffing problems. No one wants to stay and I can’t blame them because the job has little to offer. You don’t even get breaks, no matter how long your shift is, unless you’re a smoker. I’ve worked up to 10 hours with no break. If you’re in a non-manager leadership role (trainer or shift lead) you will be working like you’re full time without any of the benefits, and you’ll pick up everyone’s slack. When they’re short staffed, which is often, the hardest workers will be the ones stuck in the store by themselves, working doubles, leaving the store at 9:15 pm and coming back at 5:15 am with no sleep, and generally spending way too much time at the store. 
I used to love the work-life balance I once had, I was able to spend my time on creativity and I was even ready to go back to school. Now though, this job takes as many hours of my life as possible and sucks all the energy out of me. I have to do *everything* while I’m there because the only other person who cares is the other shift lead. Some coworkers get visibly annoyed that you interrupted their phone time to nicely ask for help with just one of the million things you need to get done.
God forbid you get sick or have a chronic condition. Management will tell you to get coverage and no one will answer you, because they’re already overscheduled, have a life outside of work, or just don’t care. Then it’ll be your fault that the store is empty or someone had to work alone, as if you have any control over the chronic understaffing. And the sad part is that some of your coworkers are brainwashed in this same way and will get mad at you for being too sick to work.
I’m incapable of being creative during my down time now. My mental health tanked severely and I cry before and after every shift. Yes I have a prior history of mental illness, but it cannot be ignored how this job caused me to regress. I was stable when I started working here, now I loathe what my life has become. I even contemplated inpatient psychiatric treatment. 
Things might be peachy when you start out, but once they see you’re a hard worker they’ll make sure to squeeze every last drop out of you. 

The online advertised starting wage is a lie- the starting wage is less than minimum, and the tips do very little to offset that. When I started I was told that the owners were very generous with raises. Spoiler: they were absolutely not generous, nor did I ever get a raise. They only gave a raise with a promotion, which then wasn't actually a raise, just a pay increase for increased responsibility. 
Management threatened to write-up anyone who discussed wages with other staff, despite it being a protected worker right to discuss wages. This was written into their workplace initiation paperwork as a "policy". 
Management also threatened to take tips away from staff for multiple reasons. 

There's no decent chance for any meaningful progression through ranks. Doing an excellent job, staying late, covering emergency shifts, learning all you possibly can, being "the reliable one" will get you nowhere. Promotions were arbitrary and based on who could be easily manipulated and used. 

The training is almost non-existent and you're expected to do a lot of training outside of work hours (online).
You're demanded to download multiple mandatory apps for work, and answer every single message you get, any time or the day/night, whether on shift or not. This got to the point where even ignoring trivia questions resulted in a write-up if you don't respond within 24hrs. Non-essential trivia questions, on your time off-shift. 
 
You don't get breaks, time off, parental or maternity leave, no PTO, no health insurance. 

The store I worked for is a revolving door of staff, where they're constantly coming and going as staff retention is very low. The pressure is incredibly high and the workplace culture is atrocious. The very first hour of my first shift, the manager yelled at other staff until they cried, and I should have left right then and there. It was a sign, and it snowballed from there.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Getting to meet and serve customers. Getting to learn how to make coffee and make blended drinks. Being able to put smiles and people’s face. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
One of Scooters’ franchisees, Freedom Enterprises, is a horrible company to work for. Their HR Department is trash. They don’t help you with any issues in the workplace, and they will take sides, and throw you away instantly if you don’t benefit them. They are also very politically motivated. So, they will do whatever they can to not lose their reputation. They lie to their employees and try to silence them. If you stand up for yourself, they’ll ban you from coming into some of their stores. 
Majority of the leadership personnel are fake and will try to get close to you, but if you do something that they don’t agree with, they will drop you entirely and never talk to you again. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
At the franchise Freedom Enterprises, the culture is definitely not what they advertised. 
It’s filled with cliques that will spread gossip throughout the store. And if the cliques don’t like you, then they’ll try to push out and make your experience horrible. You will be pushed to your breaking point, and you’ll feel super uncomfortable. It doesn’t feel like a team at all. 
The culture at the Freedom Enterprises stores is not where you want to be. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day at the Freedom Enterprise’s stores is like any other coffee shop. You get to talk to customers and serve them coffee and food. 
But you also lack the talking from the team. The environment is dark and it feels like people are talking about you. 
It tends to get really quiet while you’re working, and it starts to feel uncomfortable.

The work itself isn't hard: you take orders, make drinks, heat up food, and send them out, as well as stocking and cleaning when there's down time. Depending on staffing and scheduling, you're expected to multitask which leaves barely any down time especially during rushes. However, this becomes extremely stressful due to management timing each order and watching through the cameras, lacking to properly train new employees, and most of the time from my experience, understaffing.

The amount of work you're expected to put in far exceeds what you're usually paid. When you do go above and beyond, management takes advantage of that and schedules you to the point it's difficult to maintain a proper work/life balance. Management will schedule you however is most convenient for them and rarely respects your availability, and will throw a fit and even replace you when you change your availability in the system so they won't schedule you against it.

The best part of the job is the good coworkers you have, but most usually don't stay for longer than a few months at a time so you're constantly getting new coworkers who need to be trained. This wouldn't be so bad if the training process didn't include a bunch of videos and quizzes to watch, throwing you onto different tasks for about three days, and then calling that done.

Management also does periodic employee evaluations, however they do not communicate any performance issues with staff and instead directly report to higher management, which means you rarely, if ever get raises/promotions. Also at my location, management would tell other employees if they were planning to fire someone.

Overall, the job itself is not difficult or bad, but management makes it so unenjoyable that you're better off looking elsewhere.

What is the best part of working at the company?
My co-workers were all wonderful. And the job in itself is fun. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The manager in charge of the topeka stores has been driving away employees (and although not dorectly) customers as well. She has a very do it cheap and fast way of going about things. And is willing to humiliate or throw her employees under the bus to make herself look more competent. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It started out fun before I realized how much unnecessary stress the district manager was repeatedly placing on store managers to make her own load lighter. I say repeatedly because of their difficulty keeping management due to this issue (even before i started ive spoken with other past scooter employees and they remember her distincly as the reason they left). And when the management would get stressed with some managers, it would get taken out on the batistas/employees as well. I was being paid a very low amount to be pressured into a time frame that was impossible to reach given the complicated difficult to understand menu layout causing the customers to take a while ordering. And the fact our espresso machines were broken half of the time and we were so understaffed no one was being trained properly. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Some days were more enjoyable than others. I started out really loving scooters and being proud to work there. Towards the end f my time everyone was quitting because it was just not fun anymore. And it didn't pay enough to be an unnecessarily high stress job. The most stressful part about it was being given time frames that were mostly unachievable given our equipment setup and menu.

This job broke my heart. I love Scooters and working here has the possibility to be AMAZING, however the location I worked at (Capehart #59) was one of the worst experiences I've had. Everything is FILTHY, ice machine had black mold, drywall around baseboards had completely disintegrated, cabinet under sink was full of mold also. I saw a barista spit in drinks and an assistant manager purposely put a fly in a blended drink for no reason other than they thought it was funny. Management prioritizes profit over the health, safety, and wellbeing of both customers and employees. We were never given breaks, and often had to work the last four hours alone, making drinks, performing closing duties, and so much more! I loved making the drinks and getting to interact with customers, but it was incredibly frustrating trying to work in this kind of an environment. The manager who worked here when I did could not correctly order our supplies, this led to a lot of customers yelling at the baristas for being out of whip and the milk they wanted, when we had no control over it. Don't bother trying to go "above and beyond" at this location, because it will never be noticed or given any notice. Put your hard work in somewhere else. We also had to clean the toilets and bathrooms without gloves. I was never instructed on proper hand washing and food safety. Most of my coworkers would start their shifts without washing their hands and would then proceed to touch food and drinks with their bare hands. I will get my coffee from any Scooters besides the capehart location. I truly hope that management improves these things, as my other Scooters barista friends LOVE their job.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Barista 1434 salaries reported	$12.17 per hour
Store manager 191 salaries reported	$18.14 per hour
Assistant manager 13 salaries reported	$16.10 per hour
Assistant store manager 65 salaries reported	$16.26 per hour
Shift leader 66 salaries reported	$15.70 per hour

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