Pros
Making the drinks is actually pretty fun. I like being busy or the time drags too slowly and you usually are. Coworkers and most shift leads are nice/chill, but some more than others. Shifts are short for baristas, 3.5-4.5 hours, which works for me and helps you mentally get through the rushes, since you know you’re out soonish. I find working quickly and remembering the drinks difficult, and I enjoy the challenge (to a certain point). I’ve also learned to stay zen under pressure which is a great life skill. I think if you can barista at Philz you can do anything :) I like that I can wear what I what!
Cons
During the morning rush there is always one too few baristas to make the drinks, so it’s really stressful. Customers have to wait a long time for their drinks and they are understandably not happy about it, especially since they’re probably on the way somewhere, like work. The hourly wage ($20 per hour) is really low for the amount of stress. A lot of the orders are DoorDash, Uber eats or mobile orders, so the cafe won’t look busy, but it actually really is and you have a ton of drinks in your queue. This means the customers don’t understand why their drink orders take a long time because there aren’t a lot of people in line in the store. The vibe is super, super corporate, not at all like what Philz once was. The only non corporate feeling thing I can think of is that you are allowed to wear what you want.