Hey all. In about six days, I'll have worked at the company a year. I was hired in as an SSV due to having about four years previous experience in coffee (small cafes, other chains, and licensed stores).

I was a founding member of a brand new store, helped set it up while it was still under construction. Helped cultivate my team, build it up, won POQ, and have made strong friendships here. Our district's most junior manager was put in charge of the store, and we've quickly become the 2nd busiest DT store, pulling about 60-70k/week. For about six months, they managed to keep the store in good working order, with high spirits. Over the last six months, the culture has devolved and degraded into negativity. I've lost a lot of faith in my manager, have trouble trusting them, and often feel unsupported by them, despite their efforts to do so. I often feel both micromanaged and abandoned simultaneously, and my other shifts feel similarly. Much of my team is intensely negative, disrespectful, and generally the vibe at work is just poor. Today I reached out to another store manager to see if they were perhaps looking for an SSV, and it turns out there were. I didn't intend on them to share my request with my current manager, but they did. To their credit, they took it well, and I told them I hadn't made up my mind.

I'm stuck now, wondering what to do. I truly don't like the pace of my store, and the fact that we're a drive thru. I'm considering moving to a cafe, and the slower pace would be much better, as I could actually slow down to take care of people, and have real connections. I'd not have to deal with a boss that I find inconsistent and an environment that's toxic.

Honestly, the only thing that's making me question if I should go, is that I truly love a few handful of people there. They are not only trusted coworkers, but friends, and we've managed to balance the two very well, with no drama. It's a great mutual respect, and we take care of one another. Further, I've been there since the store's inception, and leaving feels...sad, I guess. I feel like I have stake in that store, much of the fundamentals of it are due in part to me, and the decisions I made. I instituted several programs/cultural norms that have stuck around because of me. To leave feels like turning back on a home I've been working to build.

Anyone have any thoughts?

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Edit: Wanted to add that I am also struggling due to the conflicting nature of my relationship with my manager. Things can be going well one week, and the next I feel unsupported, overlooked, or disrespected/neglected. It's never intentional, it's never malicious. It's just poor communication.