Pros
• The team at this location is supportive and collaborative, creating a positive work environment. • Regular customers are friendly and pleasant to interact with. • The franchisee is approachable and makes an effort to understand and accommodate most employees' personal needs. • Efforts are made to keep operating hours reasonable, with consideration for varying levels of customer traffic in different towns. • The store operates 9 hours Monday to Saturday and 7 hours on Sundays, which is less demanding than the 12-hour days preferred by the parent company. • Flexible scheduling makes it a good workplace for parents needing to accommodate school pick-up times. • Students can have their school schedules accommodated. • Employees with second jobs in other industries can often coordinate their schedules effectively.
Cons
• Slow periods, particularly from 3 PM to 6 PM, can lead to long stretches without customers, resulting in fewer tips. • Busy times can be overwhelming, with customers in this small town becoming impatient. • Walk-in and online check-ins only means unpredictable fluctuations in customer flow. • There are often lines of customers waiting before opening hours, and they may pressure staff to let them inside early or watch while opening duties are performed. • A significant portion of the clientele is of retirement age, which often impacts the frequency and size of tips. • The parent company requires all locations to be open seven days a week. • Employees without children, school commitments, or second jobs may find it harder to negotiate flexible scheduling. • Public transportation can be difficult to coordinate with shifts, and local taxi fares are expensive ($4 base fare, plus approximately $3 per kilometer).
