baker

crew member

general manager

shift leader

prep cook

The Works Café

For everyone looking to work here please don’t waste your time. There are no pros to working here other than a few decent coworkers. There is no happy work environment, everyone who works there is utterly miserable. There is no sense of management whatsoever,  everyone is running around like crazy and management only cares about what they have to do and no one else but themselves. Very stressful place to work in, very long hours so don’t expect to ever get out of work on time. Closing and opening shifts are the worst there’s way too much that is expected for only one or two people. Management does not help others when it’s needed. There is no work/life balance. You get a break but it’s unpaid and you have to pay to eat the food. A lot of people just stand around during slow times so there’s even more for the people who actually work to do. Management is very two-faced in nature so they will tell you everything you want to hear at first and a few weeks later we’ll go back on everything they agreed to and try to blame it on you. Don’t expect your schedule to ever stay the same. Besides a few decent ones most coworkers will repeat everything you’ve said to someone at one point or another good or bad. There’s no leadership during busy times or even slow times. There’s no benefits or pto for at least a year of working there. Requested time off has to be 3 weeks ahead of time and there’s still no guarantee they will give it to you. They are almost always short staffed and need help. They can’t keep employees whatsoever the turnover rate is like every 3-4 months because that’s the most the average employee there can handle. 

I worked here part time for about a month with 1-3 shifts assigned per week in early 2023. 10 or less shifts in total. Their training lasted 5 shifts and is not structured. You are trained by available crew members who have varying experience levels. The expectation to perform at the speed of an experienced employee after only 5 (4-6 hr) shifts; is unrealistic. I also accepted the job offer with the expectation of working 20-25 hrs per week. I would not recommend this company to anyone who is entry level to food service work or requires a stable income. After the weeks schedule was created and released through texting; the manager assigned me to another shift. The new schedule was not released to me and I was assumed as a no show on the day of that shift. The manager did not schedule me the following week; I learned of that only when it was becoming last minute to recieve the schedule so I reached out myself. Quick to hire, quick to fire; I'll say. Supposedly not performing at experienced person's speeds after 5 shifts would have gotten me fired anyways. 

I also never recieved cash tips that I had expected based on the job offer. Only digital tips. 

Food was great. Coworkers were kind and socialable but also overworked and stressed.

This job is not for the faint of heart. It is a lot of work. My time employed there, I noticed the hard working employees that have stayed at this job for several years to pay the bills had not seen a pay raise in over a year. When the regional manager was hired they made extreme labor cuts and word got out that pay raises would not be available due to it not being in their "budget" after renovating the store. My coworkers were very kind people who worked their butts off and definitely deserved to be treated better than that. Everyone that works there is absolutely miserable and often discuss how horrible the job is. You have to pay for your shift meal, no one had seen any of the benefits they list in the job description, and everyone is expected to do the job of two or more people at all times. If you are the closer, you are the only person who closes the store and expected to do a workload of 3 closers. The store closes at 5 and sometimes you wouldnt get out of work until around 7 just to complete the numerous tasks all by yourself, and then the manager would get very upset with you for costing too much labor. The management is terrible, no one knows how to run a restaurant. This place is so strange in their ways, so corporate, and so miserable. Avoid at all costs.

A typical day would be unlocking the store, counting the register, brewing 4-5 pots of coffee, restocking the sandwich line, restocking the ice bath, and putting out the mats and dividers before opening the doors. Throughout the day I would make sandwiches on bagels, breads, and wraps for customers as well as salads and different drinks. I would sometimes prep back-ups of food in the back or bake more bagels or bread as needed. Learned how to bake bread, bagels,  and pastries. Also learned how to prep most ingredients we use and learned how to make a few assorted coffee drinks (i.e. latte's). Management has always been a little rough around the edges, but altogether nice and receptive to advice. I never had any problems with my co-workers and looked forward to seeing them each day. The hardest part of the job was dealing with unkind customers and accommodating them despite my wishes. The easiest part of the job was serving the regular customers as they were a joy to talk with and fully understood what our average day felt like.

As fast-food places go, The Works is exceptionally good in terms of pay, treatment, and the general cleanliness/pleasantness of the building itself. The CEO has some really strong environmental values, and counter staff are sweet and fun to work with. Very flexible hours, and would absolutely recommend to someone looking for a part-time job, especially a high school or college student. The work itself is also extremely easy: you just need to be able to follow directions and be friendly with people. If you're looking to get experience with lots of different things, there are many opportunities to learn.

HOWEVER- I would not recommend trying to make this your full-time job. Hours are extremely tight, and folks end up either overworked or without the hours they need. Supervisors and management are under a LOT of pressure to perform, and while the pay is better than most places, it's still not much for the amount of work you do. 

As long as it's not your main source of income, The Works is a fine place to work, but if you really depend on it, it causes a lot of stress.

A typical day involves stocking lines, sandwich making, taking phone &catering orders and cleaning the kitchen/café. Also putting orders in, managing numbers, hiring and interviewing, making schedules etc.  It's a fun atmosphere and team oriented. We all work together and  help each other out. I've been in the food service Industry for over 10 years and have never been more satisfied with my management than I have working at The Works Café. I feel like I have been rewarded for my hard work since working here. The hardest part of the job is working quickly under pressure, but it makes it easy and satisfying when you have your teammates to support you. It's a rewarding job and the employee perks are awesome too. We've had holiday parties, gone bowling, played paintball and many other fun activities for team building and morale.

Great place to work. Fast paced. If you like to be up and moving this is the place for you! Shifts fly by! Competitive pay and great benefits which start after just 30 days. Apperception bonuses for all good standing employees. PTO is earned by full time employee each week and released after 1 year of work.  Health/Dental/vision plans available. 50% off all meals and free coffee in any one of our 8 locations! Management pushes you to get better each day. Learning something new everyday. Expects hard work. Reviews done every 6 months and raises are given generously. The Works gives all good standing employees opportunities for advancement. 
Very fun, laid back environment but when it’s go time we work very hard! Hard work does not go unnoticed from your average counter person right up through management. Our goal is to make every employee feel appreciated for their hard work. 

The works Is a good place to work if you are new to the industry and want to learn how to work in a high volume environment. I was under the impression that they did all their own baking in house but that unfortunately wasn't the case. If you want to actually cook something I'd look elsewhere but if all you need to feel fulfilled is a paycheck, this could be right for you. The employees are cool and the Management is good for a corporate place. The works can be a fun place to work if you like turn and burn Cafe style restaurants but it just wasn't for me.

The benefits of this job are a generous discount on food, free bagels, free coffee. The hardest part of the job is the environment. It is not an enjoyable place to be in. 
A typical day at work is a 10 hour shift, either from 7-3, 8-5:30, or 9-5:30. 
There is a lot of cleaning, food prepping, working cash register (all to be expected). But there is no workplace culture. The playlist is the same every day. Sick days are not respected. There is no common thread behind why people work there. Most people are short term or looking for another job. Customers can be rude. There is little to no downtime. 




When you work there long enough you gain a sense of family with your coworkers. It pays good solely because of tips. If your not making tips you’re not getting paid your worth. When you do have great tips it’s usually because the cafe is so busy. You have to run around and go very quickly. You have to be fast, have good customer service skills, make quality food, stay positive and be Abel to clean mid rush. It’d hectic that’s for sure, especially in summer. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Baker 6 salaries reported	$21.00 per hour
Crew member 2 salaries reported	$21.25 per hour
General manager 6 salaries reported	$70,167 per year
Shift leader 9 salaries reported	$20.25 per hour
Prep cook 4 salaries reported	$20.94 per hour

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