Pros
Competitive pay, great benefits (Medical/dental for part-time and full time, education and commuter reimbursements, free food for the staff every couple days, paid volunteer hours, paid vacation time for everyone, profit-sharing type bonuses), bomb employee discounts, open communication with management. All employees have a voice in policies, and employee concerns seem to be addressed well. I see complaints of this place being too corporate, and I don't see that at all. I don't know if it is because of management and personnel changes that have happened in the last couple years but I don't get a corporate vibe at all. I used to work at a large corporate pet store so it really bugs me when I hear people saying that. This place really seems to care about its employees. They will work with you on schedule issues, give days off when you need, and try very hard to fit your work schedule to your desired times. New tasks and responsibilities are constantly assigned to people that want them, so it's not like you're stuck doing a boring repetitive job if you want more on your plate. Ideas are really appreciated, so if you think something new should be introduced, or something would work better a different way, a lot of the time the response is "let's try it out and see". I love this store! Hands down, this is the best job that I have had (and I've had a lot). If you are looking for a store to work hard and see your hard work pay off and be appreciated, this is your place.
Cons
It is a local independent store. It is also a retail store. That means it comes with all the pros and cons of small business and retail. All the procedures and processes are home made, so that means there's a lot of trial and error. Some new policies don't work, and then have to be revamped. Some times things can get lost in the shuffle. While turnover is relatively high due to the nature of retail, there aren't a ton of opportunities for advancement because it is just one location. New duties and responsibilities are constantly given out to the staff though, so people seem to gradually work their way into more important roles. Another "con" is the popularity of the store. Given that it's such a popular store place, we are swamped a lot of the time. Management has addressed this by scheduling heavier during busy times, but I still work a lot harder here than I have at other similar jobs. And because it is a constantly evolving, self-run store, there is always something to do. This is not the store for you if you want a relaxed job where you sit behind a counter chatting with coworkers like a local comic book store (which I think is the issue that comes up in other reviews, it has gone from a store like that to a store that is actively trying to grow). Everyone here is invested in the store's success, so we are all expected to bust our buns and that can be difficult.