Panda Express is among the busiest food service locations on campus, making it a high-stress job for some employees.
“On average, we see about 1300 students flow through in a week,” Austin Tomacelli, a student employee, said. “That kind of traffic can be stressful at that moment, but you just have to remember to take a step back and breathe.”
Tomacelli has been working for Panda Express for nearly a year and a half, starting his position in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I did start when things were slower, and I came into the position not knowing what I would be doing or how I would be doing it,” said Tomacelli. “All of my training was over the phone, and when I did come in, I didn’t meet my manager [in person] for another month.”
Since being hired for Panda Express in mid-October of 2020, communication between management like Scott Strannigan, the Assistant Manager, Tomacelli, and his fellow coworkers has improved, but some student employees still encounter a difficult overlap between school and work.
“It does interfere with my [school] schedule quite a bit. Typically, I pick up super early or late shifts because we are only open during midday,” said Tomacelli.
Panda Express has recently extended its operating hours by thirty minutes, providing more opportunities for student employees to log hours.
However, only so much can be done when the business is short-staffed.
“We have tried [having] more people, but with any more staff in the area we are now, things get crowded,” said Tomacelli. “A larger location could definitely be a solution.”
Tomacelli noted that while the location is critical to business, there are some significant drawbacks to being placed inside The Union.
“We’ve had issues with outlets; even our breakers are tripped every once in a while,” said Tomacelli. “Additionally, most of our money – outside of labor costs – goes to appliance replacement.”
During his time at Panda Express, Tomacelli has witnessed the replacement of an industrial freezer and all three woks simply because of wear and tear from preparing food for the traffic flow.
Tomacelli mentions that a high employee turnover rate is present as he has seen at least four coworkers leave the business.
“Because of the stress of working at such a busy location, it does tend to drive people away over time,” said Tomacelli. “Honestly, I try to take it to minute by minute and . . . handle whatever it is that needs to be handled, whether it’s cooking or a rude customer, to the best of my ability.”
