The City of Green is filled with a surplus of ice cream shops varying from big industry franchises to single store small businesses. One of the most popular ice cream shops in Green is Handel’s, a well known big business that students flock to after significant high school events. Whether it be a winter choir concert or a big Friday night football game, you can always count on a line wrapped around the building. While Green is filled with many franchise food stores, you can still find the occasional hidden small business gem here and there. A small business ice cream shop that exists in Green is Waylon’s Handcrafted. Unlike Handel’s, Waylon’s is lesser known and isn’t the top thought when a late night sweet treat comes to mind. Because of the unbalance in the city between big and small businesses, many people lose focus on finding enjoyment in shops outside of the classic ones that exist in areas across the nation. Now back to the ice cream big/small business in Green, let’s talk about it.
Courtney & Handel’s:
Working for Handel’s has had its many ups and downs over my two years of being there. While I’ve had some really fun shifts, other shifts still haunt me to this day. Some of my worst shifts were on days where it was insanely busy. For instance, one time I didn’t clock out until 12:45 a.m. just because it was crazy busy from when I got there at 4 until 11. I have my many complaints, but working at Handel’s has given me great experiences. I like to think that having a job is preparing me for the real world and has shaped me as a person. While the experience is great, earning and learning about managing my own money has been just as nice.
There are many things I enjoy about the job. I love the availability and flexibility. I can set which days and times I want to work easily and it establishes a great relationship with the schedule. Besides this, it’s been great getting to know new people. Most people stay at Handel’s for a long time, so it allows for great relationships to form. Another advantage is that everyone starts as a scooper. After a while, anyone can move up to a shift supervisor or an ice cream maker to earn more money. It comes with more responsibilities, but I’ve enjoyed moving up the line.
Like any job, it still has its disadvantages. Handel’s is a chain, so every employee has the same outfit, and mostly every location has to follow the same rules. We all have to look the same and wear the same clothes. Many employees have advocated for shorts in the summer, but it will never happen. The building can get so hot so it’s easy to overheat, especially in pants.
Because it’s a chain, everytime I go somewhere, there’s a Handel’s nearby. One time I went to California to visit family and they had a Handel’s in their neighborhood. It haunts me everywhere I go.
Additionally, if the weather is anything but freezing, it can get so busy. The customers love Handel’s and they’ll do anything to get their favorite flavors. My biggest complaint of them all is the closing time. We close at 10 p.m. every night. On weekends in the summer, it gets moved back at 10:30. While I understand this time in the summer and fall, the winter is a different story. When it’s cold and snowy, barely anyone comes past 7 p.m. Because of this, the hours after can get a little boring. One advantage is that it’s great for closing because it’s mostly uninterrupted work. Closing can take a while, so this is one of the many winter benefits.
Overall, having a job has its advantages and its disadvantages. Working for an ice cream shop has been great because I get unlimited ice cream and I think it’s on the easier side of high school jobs. I may be biased, but I think Handels has the best ice cream out of any shop around. I’m thankful for what it’s taught me and how I’ve grown as a person over these two years. It has definitely been a big part of my high school experience that I’ll never forget.
Catherine & Waylon’s:
While I haven’t had a job throughout most of my time in high school, I can now safely say that I am getting the necessary experience before I head off to college in the fall. I started working at Waylon’s a few months ago, and right off the bat I was comparing every task I did to the ones I heard about in Handels. It started off as a simple contrast in the scoops we used on the daily, but it eventually blossomed into an even larger debate about big and small businesses, especially in Green.
Any job will have both its positives and negatives, but personally I believe that a small business job’s pros outweigh the cons. Starting off strong is the hours. Waylon’s is open from 12-8 on weekdays and 12-7 on Sunday’s. Because of the fewer hours, my shifts aren’t agonizingly long, and I still have time to go home and spend hours on my APUSH homework. Another positive in contrast to Handel’s is the ice cream scoop situation. At Waylon’s, we only use two typical ice cream scoops that get cleaned in between uses in a smaller washing well. This is great for scooping to smaller audiences because there’s less to clean at the end of the night and it gets the job done quickly. I’ve been told from multiple Handel’s employees to never take this factor of my job for granted because if not for the cleaning well, I would be cleaning close to 100 ice cream scoops a night. The last, and probably the greatest pro of my job, is the uniform (there isn’t even really one). I can go straight to work in whatever I was wearing at school for the day, and just throw on my apron and hat on top and call it a day. This isn’t even a positive for everyone in their job, but for me, as someone who loves fashion and styling clothes, this is a fantastic addition to my job.
On to the downsides of a small business job, which are definitely prevalent through all of the advantages. The biggest negative of my job is the extremely narrow clientele that barely exists on colder days where no one even considers ice cream from a small business shop. While it seems great that not as many people come in for ice cream as they do in Handel’s, and I’m virtually doing less work, this can make the night seem even longer. My easy shift changes from a quick four hours into an agonizing 240 minutes that never seem to end. While I appreciate the lesser work for minimum wage, it’s still easy to get bored as you scoop one dish every hour. Not to mention the minimal tips that are made when only five people come in throughout the night. Another super obvious negative to a small business job is the absence of a corporate ladder to climb. Other than my position as an employee who’s only jobs are opening, scooping, and closing, I can’t advance to any higher up position that warrants higher wages. I know several high school Handel’s workers who have been given the opportunity to move from ice cream scooper to shift supervisor to eventually even making the ice cream that gets served to the customers. All of these positions are met with greater responsibility and greater pay, which is something I will never attain as the only higher up position is the owner, who runs the business entirely.
Through all of the benefits and hardships of working in a small business, I am grateful for the experience regardless. I appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given to learn how to work with others and take responsibility in a manner that doesn’t pertain to myself specifically. And most importantly, I am proud to be making money of my own and learning financials at a younger age. Waylon’s > Handel’s hands down.
