Pros
The free cheese and cheese education is unparalleled. They really carry some of the best food products in the world. That education has fostered a lifelong love of food for me, and for that I'm entirely grateful. For a retail store the overall environment is much better than a national retailer or big box. We liked to joke that the employees were a little bit like our own "island of misfit toys". A lot of us were artists and musicians and it made for a very fun time behind the cheese counter. While I was there there were good opportunities for upward growth from retail stores to corporate headquarters.
Cons
I have never felt so manipulated by an employer in my life - and I used to work in the performing arts space...so that's really saying something. The CSO thinks she is God's gift to the cheese world, and she acts like the Miranda Priestly of Gouda. The "President" is far too scared of her to keep her in line, so she is allowed to run rampant across whatever business units she pleases. The difference in the way she acts with warehouse staff vs office staff vs retail staff is shocking. I've heard that she is in charge of DEI work currently and that's a laugh because I've heard her say on multiple occasions that if she could only hire women - she would. Now, yes of course we need more women in the workforce, but that's not the way to say it. She played obvious favorites, and had her emotional punching bags at the ready as well. Her behavior is what drove me, and nearly my entire department to leave the company in a 5 month span. Also - the pay rate is shocking for New York City.