I have reservations about leaving this review, though I wouldn't feel right if I didn't. It's been sitting in a text document on my computer for about a month and a half now, may as well post it.
Having worked here for over a year as a felon whose criminal record was haphazardly overlooked by the hiring process because of the consistent need for new employees due to frequent turnover, I took on this job as a way of trying to restart my life for the better. Along the way I learned many things, good and bad, and I'd like to let both the customers and the company know what I've seen.
For the majority of the time I worked here, I "was" a shift manager, had the responsibilities of the role without ever being formally approved by corporate or being educated for it. Had the nametag, half the know-how, and not the pay. And not just me: managerial responsibilities are dispersed onto people who aren't yet managers, and it makes sense for training, but then it just becomes an expected thing: you know it, do it. The store's gotta keep running, sure, but it means the cashiers are more than cashiers. A couple people who work there have experience doing all the morning paperwork, and others know how to order stock for the store, and these are technically managerial responsibilities, yet they go unacknowledged. It's like each little element of management is taught to different people so that they don't actually have to pay anyone for the full job. Happened for me and I bet it's happening for others.
It's weird when the owner Steve comes in and says "you're a manager, right?" when it hasn't been formally approved and when he isn't paying me the wages for that job. I don't know Steve, am I? Was I? Aren't /you/ supposed to know? Why are you asking me? How am I supposed to answer that?
Point being: my time here, I've seen a lot, done a lot, tried to set things straight, but it's impossible. I learned quickly that it's absolutely necessary to be skeptical of everything: if the food was made right, if it was bagged right, if everything was there, etc. Correcting mistakes became second-nature. And despite all that, even when everything was done to the best it could be, I still had this sinking feeling in my chest every time I handed out an order, that I was handing them crap, and the fact that they were thankful for it made me feel like I was letting someone down every time. It's an awful feeling that chips away at you.
I have concerns about the fries. Oftentimes, the fries are pulled early, because the food needs to go out quickly, and so they soon become soggy--and yet, I'm told, 'they're still good, hand them out'. Even after the previous batch has been scuffed off to the side, and new fries have arrived, and after they all sit there mixed up for over 10 minutes, even though they should be tossed after 5--they're 'still good'. Especially for burritos--If you get one of the epic burritos, it might have fries inside that are half an hour old by the time it goes out the window. One of the newer workers there was surprised that extra fries were rarely discarded, said that other places throw out all their old fries all the time. Here, you never know what you'll get. Could be fresh. Could be soggy and old. It's a surprise!
Other things: cheese, tomatoes, and pico de gallo, are made in surplus in advance; there's either a lot on hand or none at all. They're supposed to be made fresh daily, but enough is made to store in the fridge for 2-3 days, way past the red times. This place ain't gonna throw something away that can still be sold.
I also recall having to step into the kitchen many times to pull out very obviously trashy crappy pieces of lettuce and other ingredients from food items being made because somehow many people who work there lack the common sense to go "oh, this shrunken discolored travesty of a vegetable should not be consumed by a human being, and therefore I should not put it on a taco or a burger." I hate having to deal with something that should be automatic. Imagine dealing with people who don't have the mental capacity to notice when lettuce is trash.
On another note, there is a language barrier with often bars communication leading to holdups, mixups, and sadness. One time I needed a chicken soft taco, and a crispy chicken ranch soft taco, just those two tacos to complete the order--everything else was ready. I point to them on the screen and say each one clearly to the cook, the cook doesn't understand. I say it again. They begin.. I resume front business and check back like 30 seconds later: two chicken soft tacos are being made. I go no no no, just one chicken soft taco, and one /crispy chicken ranch soft taco/, and I point again at each of those two things on the screen--this person has made both of these things a million times before, so they should know--30 seconds later they're scooping the ingredients of the chicken soft tacos into crunchy shells, totally wrong, and it goes on and on--2 tacos which could be made in 30 seconds turned into a 5-minute ordeal until I ended up making the things myself--point being the language barrier gets to the point where any attempt to rectify an order could potentially ruin it and consume an unnecessary amount of time and resources. You might be waiting at the drive-thru for minutes because of ongoing miscommunication.
What's worse than not being understood is being outright ignored. Camila, the daughter of the manager of the store, is the straw that broke the camel's back, she's the reason I quit, and she's the reason another former shift manager quit, and the reason is the same--she doesn't listen. I would try to explain to her that if someone wants water with their meal, it's cheaper to ring the items up individually, as you'd be overcharging the customer--"but they want the meal" she says, totally ignoring me and missing the point as I have to void the fish taco meal order and re-ring up everything individually to save the customer $1.25 they didn't have to be negligently ripped off for. Yeah, she won't be looking out for you. I would try to explain to her that ice comes first in the strawberry lemonades, in the poppers drinks, ice first then the ingredients, so that everything mixes more evenly, and she would actively ignore me. One time I repeated myself to her 4 times "ice first, Camila," and at any point she could have halted and made the rest of the drink right, but instead she just continued doing her thing as I stood there in an ever-plateauing awe as I repeated myself over and over to the hardworking brick wall. And the bagging--all too often I would be handed a mess to try and sort out, and all too often I'd have a customer complain about the bagging. Boxes mixed with meals, heavy items on top of delicate ones. Broken tacos, disheveled burgers, fries falling out of their container, no thought to making sure the food is intact. Sometimes totally wrong items: This one guy had two big fat asada tacos in his order, instead he got two shrimp tacos. I felt terrible, the guy was so excited at the window, Camila assured me that the order was correct when I handed it out--when she told me she made a mistake and mixed up the tacos, there was no emotion, nothing. Mistakes I can understand, and accept, but to not feel any remorse or guilt or responsibility is another thing. The girl is a psychopath. When I get something wrong, I feel bad. I feel it in my chest, that I've let someone down. When this girl gets something wrong, she feels nothing, or she passes it off to another person, and acts like a soulless terminator. I understand now why the shift manager before me left: the girl is a nightmare, and because she's the boss's daughter, she can just do whatever she wants. So, heads-up: if you get Camila, don't expect her to hold any consideration for your wallet, your food, or your feelings.
(Same goes for Maria. It's like they both lack a soul, it's rather disconcerting. They can't think critically and they don't seem to have any emotional intelligence.)
Fun fact: last time I worked there, the safe was always unlocked, which isn't smart, as it's less than 10 feet from the main entrance, and the drive-thru register always has the key in it to unlock, because for some reason the POS won't open it anymore. These are huge security risks. These are humongous security risks, and not a day went by when anyone did anything about it, not even the many times the owner Steve was there. If I owned a store, I sure wouldn't want my cash to be readily available for snagging. That would be moronic and shameful. It's pretty much open season for anyone who is feeling too bold, and as someone with a criminal record I feel the need to point it out: I see it. It's bad. Fix it. Fix it immediately. And thank the night crew for developing the habit of locking the window between every transaction.
I could say more, but why bother, the only strategies this place has are "new promo" and "upsell". If drive-thru times are so important, then put chips/queso chips/guac and quesadillas as meal sides front-and-center on the menu outside because they take a fraction of the time to prepare as opposed to 3-minute-fries. This is a fast food restaurant. I have more ideas, but it's hard to believe that management gives a toss.
Many of the workers here are stellar. They deserve a better environment.
In short, I was always elated that anyone appreciated any food coming from here. The incompetence of this restaurant stretches from top to bottom
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