café manager

maintenance technician

Balzacs Coffee

A typical work day Is 8 hours. If you're the opener for the day you have to be there for 6:30 AM. usually pretty easy going until the next person comes in for 9 AM. You get the help and you don't have a lot expected of you. Mid-day shift is the hardest one. You are expected to do 90% of the cleaning. The duties are not split up equally. If your closing you are usually left for a span of 3 hours alone. Even if it's a busy night. The management Is cruel. They Expect perfection all the time and if you make a mistake it could cost your job. Even if the mistake wasn't something that couldn't be fixed or explained. They treat you like robots instead of people. The people I worked with were nice. We all got along and helped each other the best we could. I learned how to make Latte are which was pretty fun.The hardest part of the job is feeling expendable 24/7. no job security and that's stressful if you need to pay rent and live. There are no Benefits. Room for advancement is non-existant. It's a dead end job that pays barely enough to live on.

Say goodbye to weekends and any semblance of a consistent schedule. You will likely be working hard and long shifts and be asked to come in for most of your days of; you will be extremely lucky to get two days off in a row consistently if you're working full time and will frequently work more than 7 days in a row.

Co-workers can be hit or miss as with any job. 

Management puts a ton of pressure on you to work harder and harder with little to no recognition or acknowledgment for your hard work.

Little to no official training for anything. All baristas are self taught, and most of the cafe management is too. If you're a self starter with a strong work ethic it is an environment you can thrive in, for those who are not it can be a nightmare (for them and their coworkers).

Working at Balzac's has definitely been a learning experience. Located at the Toronto Reference Library, we are an extremely high traffic cafe with many different clientele. Because my coworkers and I are such a great time, we are able to smoothly work through any problem thrown at us. This particular location has been through some trying times due to the lack of a manager for weeks and sometimes months at a time. We are able to work through it together and it has really brought us closer. The greatest challenge of this job was that many of the patrons are of the homeless community who frequent the Library it is connected to. Because of this, my team is subject to more security issues than expected at a cafe.The most enjoyable part is the friendship I have developed with coworkers!

This place will train you from scratch, so if you have no barista experience this is a good place to start. It trained me well on latte art and how to handle large drink rushes.

 HOWEVER, They will cut your hours to 8 a week in January even if you signed a contract for full time hours. The manager will hire people and not tell you, when they show up unannounced you’ll be expected to drop everything to train them. We had several instances of flooding/power outages where the manager was no where to be found. They fired my coworker after she asked for time off to see her dying grandfather, but I wasn’t sure of the whole story there and I believe that managaer was fired as well.

It's your standard warehouse job but with little to no management. If you have an issue or question, ask the person next to you as management offers little to no solutions. I learned how to manage myself more thoroughly and did my best to help organize the floor team. The most difficult aspect of the job like most would be repetition. The most enjoyable aspect of the warehouse was definitely my peers. It feels like a high school environment and there is little authority to maintain a professional atmosphere. 
If you are looking for something temporary while looking for work, this is a decent option.

As the manager of our vibrant café, I'm immensely proud of our warm atmosphere and outstanding team culture. Our café is more than just a place for coffee; it's a hub of community and connection, thanks to our dedicated and diverse team. Together, we're committed to making every visit memorable, creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels at home. Our team's genuine care for each other and our patrons sets us apart, fostering a unique sense of belonging. The café's inviting space, with its artful decor and quality offerings, reflects our passion for excellence. It's a privilege to lead such a dynamic team, making our café a beloved spot in the community.








Very quick management turnover in Kingston. Understandably, when I began managing things were tough, it was difficult to reach head office if there were issues as they're based out of Toronto. Sometimes issues seemed too small to bother talking about to HO so we just dealt with them ourselves. As a manager, this was a rocky experience that tainted my view of the company in general. Great experience for future jobs as a barista. Working as a barista was a breeze, flexible hours, usually some shifts to pick up, great coworkers.

Working as a barista at Balzac's has been a good experience compared to the restaurant jobs I had before. The management is supportive and willing to provide shifts that work around my school schedule. They also care for the team ensuring we take lunch and breaks depending on our shift. The cafés I worked at were warm, staff was nice and the regulars were friendly and tipped well. Would recommend working here!



If you're at a good location, it's not overly stressful work, though breaks arent guaranteed and unpaid. Upper management has very little clue what they're doing and what is needed on a store level, much to the dismay of on site management trying to make good of a bad situation. Despite often miscommunication or misunderstandings from H/O, if you're just a regular employee it's a cool and pretty LGBTQ+ positive workspace, not much is expected of you as long as you don't majorly mess up.

Cool people super high turnover because management sucks. We thru 2 managers while I was working there. Both very condescending, passive aggressive, they will throw you under the bus for the smallest things (even if you are in the right) working there during the summer/ christmas market was basically slave labour with very little help or appreciation. Managers suck. Tips are good they will fire all your friends dor personal unon work related reasons. Very political and not worth the pain and suffering

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Café manager 1 salary reported	$52,500 per year
Maintenance technician 1 salary reported	$22.50 per hour

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