Good shops are built by great people, not just great recipes. We invest in training so every teammate can deliver both quality and kindness—even on the busiest Saturday.
Week 1: Foundations
- Safety first: knife handling, hot surfaces, kettle etiquette, and allergen protocol. We walk through separate zones for gluten-free and nut-bearing items, plus sanitation timing.
- Product tasting: staff sample every bagel and spread to learn flavor notes and pairings. You can’t recommend what you haven’t met.
- Service standards: greetings, clarifying questions, and how to handle special requests with care.
Week 2: Stations
- Toast and assemble: practice hinge cutting, even schmear to the edges, and tidy stacking so sandwiches hold together.
- POS and pacing: learn our shorthand, modifiers, and when to start toasting so orders land warm.
- Bar basics: dial in espresso and milk textures that complement bagel flavors, not overshadow them.
Week 3: Craft and consistency
- Shaping and sealing: ropes, wraps, and the thumb roll for tight rings that won’t open in the kettle.
- Boil-and-bake timing: recognizing proper proof, judging kettle time by bounce, rotating trays for even color.
- Waste smart: portioning spreads, logging sell-through, and transforming day-olds into chips.
Ongoing: Mentorship and feedback
- Shadow shifts with experienced leads, plus daily debriefs. What went well? What dragged? We improve together.
- Surprise quality checks—cut-open audits to judge crumb, topping adhesion tests, and service mystery shops.
Growth path:
- Cross-train across stations to build empathy and resilience. The best assemblers understand the baker’s timing; the best cashiers anticipate the line’s bottlenecks.
- We promote from within. Leads learn scheduling, ordering, and coaching so the culture stays strong as we grow.
The result: a team that moves with purpose and warmth. When you feel the calm at our counter, that’s training at work.
