TS
Timotheos Von Soest
Aug 25, 2026
Came in to eat, noticed a frenetic man walking in and out of the back area.
He would stand 2.5m from the patron side of the counter and watch every move that the staff made.
Not with the look of "where can I help as a manager", but, "who am I gonna fire"...
He did nothing but yap on his phone, telling someone what needs to be done out front, while eyeballing his staff...
What a draconian environment to work in. The young women behind the counter were doing a great job, but seemed really worried if they took a breath out of turn.
It was not that busy either. Maybe 10-11 people served in the 15-20 min I was there.
Staff service: excellent but they looked terrified to make a human error.
Food: tasted like every other subway. I enjoyed my sub.
Atmosphere: Draconian.
The staff looked terrified to screw up in front of him. Sat for 25-30 min watching him do this to his staff.
They were under his eyes and they knew it. They looked miserable and terrified at the same time...
Imo... Get rid of that manager. The staff may work there longer...
*Edit*
Was replied to this review by manager (it read like the manager I was observing wrote it).
The reply was really trying to tell me what I saw and experienced, was not what I saw and experienced...?
🤨
They explained it was a marketing manager just setting up the look and display of the location. He was chatting with home office while on his cell.
That's not just what I saw.
I did surmise it was a regional manager of sorts, working in the store, however... I also saw him eyeballing/closely watching the staff's every move, as well as go behind them to check on the job they just did (IMHO only, it looked like the manager was also there to trim staff, but that's just my I guess, that may be wrong, but it did occur to me as a possibility by the staff's reaction to him as a whole - again, just my opinion, it may be wrong, I am not infallible like most people think all drummers are - *blush*).
I also know what scared, and terrified people look like.
It looked like the team I observed working, very dilligently, quite closely resembling panic mode, behind the line and in the front of house.
I also know what I over-heard, unbeknownst to the staff.
That when completed a task, a few staff members asked one consistent staff member, what to do next.
Literally within a few seconds of finishing said task.
I also overheard another staff member say, "anything, just stay busy, he's over there watching", then another staff member directed the person seeking the initial direction.
It was a tense and fearful moment that I saw and overheard, even though the staff were professional, thought they were unnoticed, unheard and, professionally discreet about it.
Qualification:
I grew up in the restaurant business as a child.
Worked in eateries of all kinds as a teen and young adult.
I am a trained visual artist (observation is a key attribute).
Was an infantry soldier (Observation/listening skills are key attributes therin - as well as a lot of different kinds of ducking skills, yep, lots of that... Yet I digress).
I am a musician (Observation/listening skills are key attributes therin - given... I am the guy who "hangs around musicians" - the drummer... )
Badumbum ... Tzzzzz <--- sizzle cymbal sound 😋
I know scared and terrified people/staff when I see and hear them.
Sorry... 🤷🏻