Rebecca O.
Yelp
Wow, have things changed here, and not for the better. I have been coming to Bean and Bagel for three years while in graduate school, and the amount of staff turnover (many of whom have worked here the entire time I've been a patron) in the past few months is not only appalling, but indicative that something is terribly wrong with the way management and oversight is being conducted here.
While picking up my bagel today, I noticed a security camera pointed directly down at the employees. This is a new installation, and it's VERY evident that it is being used for employee surveillance instead of security. Having worked in an environment like this for 4 years, I am not at all surprised the staff is leaving in droves.
Both Cinzia and Mikayla breathed so much life into this place, and made BnB the UW Anthropology Departments chosen coffee and lunch spot. My colleagues and I were in here sometimes every day, doing work, studying, and getting to know the staff well. With the amount of staff turnover here, I doubt that same level of community will be attainable. The obvious cameras also make me less willing to stay.
I feel bad for the employees honestly; we all know what it's like having someone looking over your shoulder constantly. It's not a healthy way to work, even for a couple hours, let alone the entirety of every shift. All of the old managers have left, and from what I can tell, will not be replaced. Having managed a fleet of entry-level employees myself and having dealt with facilities management and scheduling oversight, I can attest to the toxicity of micromanagement. I can attest to the fact that trusting your employees with autonomy, paying them what they are worth, and respecting their work ethic makes for loyal employees who stay for years. We don't leave jobs, we leave managers, and I'm so very sorry to see so many of BnB's friendliest and personable staff leaving theirs. I hope management realizes that BnB's long time patrons who come here for community and who have bonded with these wonderful individuals will likely leave with them.