When thinking of Williamsburg, Virginia, a vision of a variety of little shops, restaurants, convenience stores, amusement parks, smiling faces, and friendly locals may pop into a few people’s minds.  Most of the locals that tourists interact with are the ones who are part of the workforce of the town–ultimately helping Williamsburg remain as prosperous as it has always been.

Williamsburg is always filled with teenagers that are hungry for work–so that they don’t have to keep asking parents for money. So the major question is, where is the best place to work for the young, and often inexperienced, residents looking to enter the ranks of Williamsburg’s employed?  According to the students at Lafayette High School who are in the working world, these are the most popular places to work, and how they rank in three categories: best pay, best benefits, and best work environment.

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Making It Rain

Who would have known that a Mexican fast food restaurant provided one of the best wages for Williamsburg teens?  Chipotle is currently starting at 11 dollars an hour for their most basic positions offered, such as cashiers.  Chipotle employs teenagers starting at age 16 but may oversee this rule for 14 to 15-year-olds with a valid worker’s permit.  Although it may get busy with locals and tourists visiting this popular burrito and salad restaurant, it is a great job to gain experience from through the fast-paced day.  “The pay is definitely rewarding, as most jobs for teens in Williamsburg only pay minimum wage for working as hard as I do,” Carolina Dunn, a junior at Lafayette High School.  She adds, “The only problem is with all of the William and Mary students using their express card [the card they use for their meal plan] at Chipotle makes work stay busy throughout shifts.  However, all the employees are so nice at work, so it’s definitely worth it.”

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A Job With Benefits

If the question “Regal Cinemas versus Movie Tavern” ever arises in conversation, most teens in Williamsburg will answer Regal with no questions asked.  Due to this bias in Williamsburg, in the last couple of months, most frequent customers may have noticed the influx of teenage workers that are employed there now.  This is most likely due to the outstanding benefits that the movie-watching teens take into consideration.  “I can go to a free movie with a friend every day if I wanted to,” Mikayla Olson, a senior at Lafayette says, adding, “and above that, all of the concessions are half price for the employees and our company—so I think it’s definitely worth the starting pay of eight dollars an hour.”  Employees at Regal Cinema are always busy doing something but strive to have fun with their job so that they can enjoy themselves later on.

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Teamwork

Being warmly greeted by a friendly employee that’s eager to help, is one of the best examples of what good customer service consists of–which defines Bruster’s in totality.  After sixteen years of being a loyal customer at this ice cream shop, Alec Benjamin, a Junior at Lafayette, decided to apply to work there in February.  Overall, he reports that the managers and coworkers have been nothing but sweet, friendly, and helpful to him and to each other.   There have been no fights or drama that go on at her work—making it the perfect “escape” from the stresses of school.  “What’s better than having a good relationship with your bosses and coworkers and getting to have fun at work as well?” wonders Alec.  As the business relies heavily on customer service and tips, the stronger the bond between the crew, the happier the transaction between the customer and the employee will be.

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Overall, these are the best places to work for teenagers, based on input from Lafayette High School students.  Whether it’s for the money or the relationships you build through these jobs, Williamsburg has many options open to all different teens willing to work.