So the Margate Coffee shed is lovely. The interior design is carefully thought out, the menu is just right for light lunches and satisfying breakfasts and the coffee is super. When myself and my colleagues attended for a working brunch it was obvious that they were busy and we appreciated being squeezed in.

One thing we would say is that the manager made the whole experience slightly less enjoyable. It’s clear that the coffee shed is a big employer of young people, all younger members of staff were professional, calm under pressure and polite. The manager however took to shouting and publicly undermining her younger employees. One staff member was laughing and chatting in the kitchen, with in earshot of our table. Something which we all agreed was actually nice to hear, to hear someone having a nice time at work. It wasn’t bothering us at all. The manager stood in the doorway of the kitchen and told her that all anyone could hear was her talking in the cafe. The irony of course being that now all we could hear was her shouting at a staff member. There were a few more instances like this. The manger stood and shouted at the lad trying to take our order that there would be a 25 min wait on food as he was in the middle of talking to me. We’ve all worked in hospitality, during busy times and with little experience at the start. Our advice to management would be to ensure that your younger members of staff are not scared of these shifts but in fact take them in their stride and that management plays a key part in making it not only manageable but enjoyable too.

In short. Just be nice to your staff.