A sinking ship (re-branded starbucks) - Barista Bluestone Lane Employee Review

1.0
1 Aug 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Free coffee, a lot of cute dogs come in

Cons

We went months without a manager only to be given one with no coffee experience. Equipment has been broken for months despite telling upper management. FOH was hired on the premise of a $17/hour base pay and in reality, most of the drinks on the menu cost more than the hourly wage ($7.25). Upper management is spotty and opportunistic at best, they'll abandon those who actually operate the cafes in favor of "good vibes" any day of the week. The QR code ordering system is a well-branded attempt to staff the cafes as little as possible, expecting baristas to also be hosts, servers, and even dishwashers. I can't emphasize enough how much this job is not worth it.

Explore other reviews about Bluestone Lane

5.0
13 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fun, appreciate weekly deposits, great coffee, nice uniform

Cons

Rude customers, expensive, etc, eetc

1.0
21 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It's a job, you get paid. The drinks and food are good too, and you get a free meal on your lunch break.

Cons

The base salary is 11.50, customer tips are expected to cover the rest of the gap between that and the current minimum wage, which is enough pocket money for a teenager but is not enough to sustain an adult living in NYC. They're also a bit understaffed. New employee training is messy and unstructured and you are expected to know much of it on your own. Employees do basic cleaning every day, but the cafe desperately needed a deeper cleaning. All of the shelves, bathroom plants, and bathroom wall trim had a fairly thick layer of dust, and the furniture was clearly very used. The place just never felt fully clean.

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