What’s it like working in a cafe?

[TsunamiSurfer]

Shamelessly posting here for traffic - what’s it like working in a cafe?
I have no hospitality experience but a strong customer service background.
it would be for 3 x 4 hour shifts a week which would fit perfectly around school and family commitments.
i want to hear your good, bad and ugly.
its a local family owned business

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My experience is years ago, but it was very hard work. Because cafe owners can't afford to employ too many staff, I was always on the go, taking orders, clearing tables, delivering orders, checking everything was OK, dealing with complaints, keeping a pleasant smile on my face when someone was being rude and unpleasant. I didn't like it, but some people do. But it is hard work and quite stressful when it's busy.

Filthy
your nails get soft with all the bleach and detergents and constantly wipe wipe wiping and wringing of cloths ideal if you can moisturise snd wear latex gloves

you need v good footwear ( trainers) on your feet as you do about 50k steps

you need to practice your sweet smile and enless patience the genersl public are lovely and tiresome

It's a lot more physical than people imagine.

More physically demanding than you’d expect. No chance to sit down but if your shifts are 4 hours max it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re reasonably fit. If it’s a smaller cafe you might be expected to turn your hand at all jobs: waiting tables, food and drink prep, cleaning and pot wash. I worked in a cafe for 5 years as a student job but I loved it. Customers and colleagues were great and I’d say I prefer it to any graduate job I’ve had since!
Tips are much better if you work in a proper restaurant which I also did. But I hated the late hours and having to serve people who were pissed. Much prefer serving teas and coffees 😊

People often say they'd love a little job in a cafe like they're just serving a few coffees and cream teas all day but in truth it's hard work. I would do an 8 hour shift and my back would be killing by the end of the day and was knackered. On the go constantly and having the general public moaning at you cos they're still waiting for their food, letting their little darlings empty the sugar sachets all over the table.

I have never worked in a cafe but I worked in hospitality for years at events - Corporate days, weddings, waitressing in restaurants and pubs and it is really hard work. Good fun if you’re working with people you like but don’t underestimate the physical element, although a four hour shift isn’t too bad. I’m not sure I have the stamina for it now I’m in my 40s.

Hard work physically, and you need to be able to do about 12 things at once and very quickly. Working in customer service is useful experience but for whatever reason hospitality customers (in addition to the usual working with the public shit) have the idea that your job is incredibly easy so if they don't get exactly what they want immediately despite having not asked for it they feel entitled to shout at you and belittle you. Having said that, if you have the kind of brain that likes to be doing 12 things at once and like people (and not all of them are arseholes to be fair), it can be quite fun.

Physically quite hard, but can be good fun, and a nice team spirit in a lot of places, when you are all pitching in while it's busy. Terrible pay, and tips can be variable. I really enjoyed it.

It was my favourite job. I loved being on my feet, chatting to the public, being busy and seeing the result of my work (it's why I like cleaning). Had a great team and could always find something to do.

But people are gross! Be prepared for people to pile up their used tissues on plates and stacking plates on top of food, hidden sauce sachets and rubbish all over the floor. I honestly preferred people leaving crumbs on the floor so I could just sweep it up, rather than having to touch the used wet wipes, which inevitably had all sorts of floor marks and debris from earlier foot traffic.

I used to love the regulars and some of the weird orders. We had one chap who used to come in between breakfast and lunch changeover and he always ordered a hybrid meal of something like a roast chicken with toast and beans. It was so endearingly bonkers 🙃

I've loved working in cafes over the years. Hard graft but I'd never been fitter. I had a great team with lovely managers.

Depends enormously on the cafe!
I've worked in cafes and pubs and kitchens since I was 16. You're on your feet all day. You need a good memory. It's lifting and carrying and cleaning all day.
And yes people are disgusting, they'll often steal anything they can (cups, toilet rolls, cutlery etc) and some will leave the place a mess. You'll get people assuming you're thick because you're working in a cafe. But that's not every person, you do get friendly regulars and it can be really good if you've got nice people to work with.

I'm in my late 50s and work 12 hours over two days a week in an independent cafe/coffee shop, as a semi retirement job. The staff and customers are lovely, and we all do every job - so usually a mix of making coffees/teas/milkshakes, taking orders at the till, preparing food, washing up, serving customers, clearing tables, cashing up and cleaning (including the toilet!) at the end of the day.

It's hard work, but after 25 years of being self employed, I love it - and my latte art is coming on a treat!

No doubt it depends on the set up of the cafe, and what the staff and customers are like, but I absolutely love it - best decision I ever made.

Bloody exhausting

My experience is 35 years ago when I was a teenager. It’s hard work. There’s no down time at all. Even if you’re empty, there’s always something to clean. And you will come to loathe parents who can’t be arsed to parent, as well as that one weird customer you hate serving.

But, the shifts will always go quickly. You’ll have regulars you will become fond of. The tips are nice. It’s not difficult work. And when you walk out the door, you aren’t taking it home with you.

Chef in a cafe/tearoom that's so busy we have coaches 🤣.
It's fun physical and you often get drinks or broken cakes leftover bits to eat.
Team is usually lovely but be prepared for non stop mind bending busy periods where you are answer questions about allergies, showing people to tables.Wiping,cleaning washing up.Customers can be so lovely so if you like to be busy with no two days the same go for it.

Depends on the cafe and depends on the Manager and / or owner, and colleagues if there are any.

Some people enjoy the interaction with people all day, others don't.

Thank you all so much for your replies, and all the in depth inside knowledge, experience and info - I really appreciate it x

Depends which one. In a place with nice customers, with a good manager, lovely. In one where kids are constantly running around screaming and their mothers shriek at you when you fall over them when carrying hot drinks, and the manager's more bothered that you're injured so can't work the next day, well you get the picture.

Expect to be run off your feet.

There is a lot of cleanup during each shift and after closing too.
A lot of setting up, if you're opening up.

Most cafes are understaffed because no one wants to / can afford to pay for staff anymore.
I was a waitress for years and I hated working in cafes. Tips are really poor too.
Restaurants are marginally better.

Are we talking kitchen, out front, coffee shop vibe or more cooked breakfast cafe?

I did 10 years in a pub, mainly daytime trade, loved it until we got took over.

Now two weeks into working in a cafe/coffee shop/brunch place.

It is physical work, on your feet a lot and so tiring. But not hard, not really, once you pick up the way they like things done you'll be fine.

I've worked in a few cafes / restaurants / pubs. Cafes that just do sandwiches / cakes / drinks are easiest, if you have a decent boss and are the right amount of busy (a bit busy makes the time go fast, but if they're trying to make one person do the work of two to save cash it's awful). Places that do hot food are worse for being way too hot and having to handle all sorts of grease and filth. Scrubbing grease off the floors and picking soggy veg out of the plughole etc. Ending the day sweat-soaked and stinking.

Depends on the cafe. The one I worked in it was lovely and chill until customers turned into arseholes.

Yes it gets very hot in summer. It's been awful this year.

Do you expect tips in a cafe?? I would never think to tip in a cafe. But as we have minimum wage I don’t believe in a tipping culture anyway.