Day in the Life of The Parlour

Meet Aimee. She is the Parlour Manager. This was Aimee’s first summer with Central Smith. Let’s get the inside scoop on what it’s like to be a Parlour Manager!

As a Parlour Manager, I’m in charge of keeping our parlour running. This was a record summer and we’re the busiest we’ve ever been! As Parlour Manager, I look after all opening and closing duties, I fulfill online orders, manage stock, build staff schedules, hire staff, maintain tidiness throughout the day and balance the till. Let’s take you on a day in the life of a Parlour Manager.

Day to Day

Wake up / morning routine: I wake up at 6:10 am every day. I start my day by making my children breakfast and seeing them off to school. Then I like to have a tea (no coffee for me!) and have my breakfast. I try to read a bit before I have to get going, then I prepare for the rest of my day.

Start time and start up: I clock in at 10:30 am and start my opening routine. I turn the lights on, put away dishes from last night, turn the dipwells on and sort the scoops and tub scrapers. I put together the yogurt machine and flip it on. I wipe down all counters and freezers, then I start taking out our sundae sauces to let them temper for the day. I review freezer stock and replenish anything low or missing. I’m in charge of rotating our flavours regularly. I count the till and prepare for the day.

Once inside the parlour is ready for the day, I start preparing our outdoor area and the field. I fill up watering cans for the flowerbeds and water the plants. I sanitize all of our picnic tables to keep them clean for our customers. Then I do a walkabout to check for any litter to keep our grounds neat. It’s important for us to provide an inviting area for our customers to sit while they enjoy their ice cream!

11:00 am: We open at 11:00 am, so we put our “Now Open” sign on the road for the day. I flip our “Open” sign on in our window. At this time, I review our online orders and start to organize them for pick up. Now that we’re open, I start taking orders from our customers!

12:00 pm: At 12:00 pm, we open for Uber Eats so I turn on our tablet and keep an ear out for any orders for delivery. In between serving customers, I find time to scoop Variety Packs to stock our freezer and pack some for pick-ups. I usually find some time to wipe down and clean our windows around this time. I ensure to do a deep clean of our walk-up window to keep everyone safe!

1:00 pm: Throughout most of the afternoon, I make an effort to maintain cleanliness of the parlour by regularly wiping down surfaces and tidying up after orders. I keep replenishing stock for our freezers so your favourite flavours are always out! Usually by this time, we get a few more online orders for later in the week. I use this time to organize them by day.

2:00 pm: I try to take my lunch around 2:00 pm, but it varies day by day when the parlour is busy throughout the afternoon. During my lunch break, I try to get outside when I can and enjoy our picnic area.

3:00 pm: During the Fall Season, 3:00 pm is when our parlour staff start to arrive. By 3 pm, I usually have a few tasks for the staff to get started on, like replenishing tubs and our Variety Pack stock. Afternoons get busier as people stop for an afternoon cone, so I get started on cash and expediting orders for the staff to scoop. If necessary, we usually hold any meetings or reviews with staff or management around 3:00.

5:00 pm: At 5:00 pm, we stop our Uber Eats delivery so I go to our tablet and close our shop for the day. Near the end of the day, I start to take stock of our parlour supplies like milk, bananas, whipped cream, and toppings. I make lists of our stock so I can pick up any necessary supplies for the next day.

End of Day Routine: We close the parlour at 6:00 pm, we finish up any last customer orders in line. Then we bring in the “Now Open” sign from the road and flip off our “Open” sign in the window. Between the staff and myself, we turn off, take apart and clean the yogurt machine for tomorrow. We start doing dishes to clean the scoops, tub scrapers, knifes, tongs, and cutting boards. We clean the milkshake machine and mixing cups. We put away the sundae sauces and turn off the hot fudge. We clean the counters, sweep and mop the floor. I start to count the cash in the till, split up tips for our shifts, and replenish stock for tomorrow. We end the day by rinsing out empty tubs and putting them out by the road for any pick-ups. Once we’ve finished closing the parlour, we shut off the lights, lock up and clock out for the day.

Being the Parlour Manager at Central Smith is a rewarding position because it’s a fun and fast-paced position. I get to see the parlour staff grow over the summer and build life skills they can use later in their careers. Working in the parlour is such a fun time because we get to deal with the customers directly and we really get to know our regulars!