Fry's Food vs. Wal-mart

Well its been a while, and I have been thinking on what I should blog about. So here are the differences and similarities and pros and cons about Fry's and the dreaded corporate monster Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart


I'll start with Wal-mart because it was the first place I worked retail. When I first started working at walmart, I was doing the baking. That meant going in at 5am till noon and baking, packaging, and getting bread for the next day ready to proof.Kind of a lot to do when my co-baker wasn't there. There were 2 donut ladies, 3 cake decorators, and about 4 ladies on the floor putting out product. I left there when I came to AZ. I got transferred to a walmart out here where I was putting product on the sales floor. At this store, there were 2 bakers, 1 donut lady, 1 cake decorator, and 2 people already doing the sales floor before I came along. At this walmart I did a little bit of everything except play manager. I decorated cakes, donuts, and did baking. Everyone was responsible to throw THEIR own trash. God forbid someone ask you to throw their trash away. As far as managers went, they were all the same. Answering to a higher power and shitting on us peon employees. When I started doing cake decorating, they weren't even going to change my pay. Being a cake decorator is the highest thing you can do in the bakery. If i hadn't said something, they were going to pay me the same. I must say that there were a choice few managers that weren't total asses, and by choice few I mean ONE.

Fry's


The idea of working at Fry's was a desperate attempt to attain a regular paycheck. When the whole MA thing didn't work out, I couldn't wait anymore to find a good job. I went back to the bakery, expecting to do cakes like I had already been doing. But it turns out they needed a closer. They did test me on my cake decorating skills to see if I could be cake decorator, but apparently I didn't pass that test. (Gimme a break, it had been like 6  months since I had done a cake) But in THIS bakery, there is only 1 baker (unless they are off, then they have others trained to bake) who does nothing BUT bakes, bread, pastries, and donuts. The baker does not package anything that he bakes, the other morning people do it. There is 1 cake decorator, and 2 or 3 other people that put out fresh product and fill tables, and one closer. Me. There is also A LOT MORE PRODUCT and baking. There is a plethora of breakfast items, self serve donuts, self serve pastries and bagels, and self serve rolls. All of which are packaged at the end of the night, and not just thrown away. All in all its a much smoother running bakery and I feel more part of a team. Of course, it has its flaws and management is still the same, filled with douche bags on a power trip because they are titled "manager". But like i said with walmart, there are a select few that are good managers. At Fry's, people actually work, as opposed to the laziness that is people at walmart.

In conclusion if I HAD to choose which place sucks the least, Fry's would be my choice, but not far off from the hell that is walmart. So if you are a teenager needing a first job, or a senior citizen that wants something to do during the day, then by all means, work at one of these stores. I don't know why I decided to blog about these places, just something thats been rolling around in my head for a few days. I promise I will make it more interesting next blog. =)