Balsam Shops, Inc. in Mackinac Island, MI, seeks 6 Food Preparer & Servers for temporary, full-time employment (04/01/2026 to 11/01/2026). Duties: Prepare and serve food in a fast food counter restaurant. Duties include: taking customer orders and payments; preparing daily food items and nonalcoholic beverages; clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas; and collect and wash dirty dishes. May work in various work stations throughout the day.
Food service is a combination of pre-made items that are cooked or heated and served with some assembly required, and items which must be mixed and served before serving. Specific food items to be prepared include hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, keilbasa, pulled pork sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, breakfast sandwich, pretzels, popcorn, nachos, pizza, donuts, hard scooped ice cream, prepacked ice cream treats, and bagged chips, and beverages prepared includes coffee, hot chocolate, fountain soda, frozen slushy, bottled beverages & water.
Food preparation includes removing frozen items from the freezer to thaw in the refrigerator, cooking items in the microwave, and maintaining items in a warmer to be packaged and presented to the customer upon ordering. Each food item is either cooked or assembled according to the utilized tools and equipment prescribed for that item. Donuts, pizza, popcorn, and pretzels are cooked in food-specific machines. Other foods are assembled from precooked components, including sandwiches, ice cream, and soda. Coffee and hot chocolate come in prepacked amounts that are loaded into respective machines.
Specific items are prepared as follows:
• The hot meat items, including hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, kielbasa, and pulled pork are microwaved. If prepped pre-order, they are placed in a warmer before being assembled on a bun and put on a paper plate.
• Premade chicken salad is removed from refrigerator, spread on a bun, and put on a paper plate.
• Premade breakfast sandwiches are removed from freezer and microwaved.
• Nacho cheese is warmed in a nacho cheese warmer and pumped onto chips in a plastic container.
• Popcorn machine is heated, oil added, and popcorn added. When popcorn is fully popped, the pot is dumped into the warming area and served in a popcorn box.
• Premade pizza crusts are assembled with toppings using refrigerated and frozen ingredients, cooked in a pizza oven, cut, and placed in a heated glass display case.
• Packaged ready to eat items are heated in microwave then placed in a heated display case.
• Premade pretzels are removed from the freezer and placed in the warmer to heat.
• Donut ingredients are measured and mixed and placed in the donut machine, cooked on a conveyor, after they are cooled, they are frosted and decorated from ingredients that are measured and mixed. Donuts are then placed in the display case for sale.
• Soda Syrup and Co2 canisters are attached to the soda dispenser. The dispenser mixes the ingredients for service.
• Slushy mix is poured into the slushy machine where it freezes for dispensing.
• Packaged water, soda, and other beverages are placed in a refrigerated display for sale.
• Ice cream is scooped from the display freezer and put on either a cone or in a bowl
Equipment and tools used in the preparation of food and beverages includes: microwave, hot dog warmer, pretzel warmer, popcorn machine, mixer, donut machine, pizza oven, freezers, refrigerators, ice cream scoop, nacho cheese dispenser, soda fountain dispenser, and slushy machine.
The donuts and popcorn are made in large batches with prepackaged ingredients that need to be measured, mixed, and cooked per the equipment specifications. Other foods are prepared using premade ingredients in smaller quantities.
May perform other job duties pursuant to 35-3023, Fast Food and Counter Workers.
35+ hours/week. 8-hour shifts between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm (shifts may be between 8:00 am to 7:00 pm during peak months). 5 days per week, Sun-Sat. May work evenings, weekends, holidays, as needed. Schedule (including workdays) may vary. May work more than the guaranteed hours. May work overtime. OT varies.
No formal education, training or experience required. On-the-job training will be provided.
$13.73/hr; O/T $20.60/hr. Workers will be paid no less than the wage listed. Employer may pay higher wage rates to workers based on seniority with employer and level of skill. Overtime hours may vary.
In accordance with applicable Michigan state law, Earned Sick Time Act 338, employers are required to provide earned sick time to their employees. The amount of paid sick leave provided may vary depending on the size of the business.
If the employee resides on the mainland, employer will provide daily boat transportation from the mainland dock to and from Mackinac Island, or employee may report directly to the worksite on their own. Employment is within walking distance of boat docks and island housing.
Employer assurances pursuant to 20 CFR 655.20:
- Single work week used in computing wages due.
- Wages paid bi-weekly.
- Work tools, supplies & equipment provided without cost to employee.
- Workers have the option of employer-provided housing for $75 per week, and if elected, employer will deduct costs from worker's paycheck. Workers also have the option of securing their own lodging.
- Employer will make all deductions from the worker’s paycheck required by law and any non-legally required payroll deductions permitted under the law and requested by Employee.
- Upon or before 50% completion of work contract, employer will reimburse the worker for transportation & subsistence from place of recruitment to place of work within five days of receiving the expense receipts. Employer will issue reimbursement within the first workweek when required to meet FLSA minimum wage obligations. Upon completion of the work contract or where the worker is dismissed earlier, if the worker has no immediately subsequent H-2B employment, the employer will provide or pay for worker’s reasonable costs of return transportation & subsistence back home or to the place the worker originally departed to work. The amount of transportation payment or reimbursement will be equal to the most economical & reasonable common carrier for the distances involved. Daily subsistence will be provided at a rate of at least $16.28 per day during travel to a maximum of $68.00 per day with receipts.
- Employer will reimburse worker in the first work week for all visa, visa processing, border crossing & related fees, incl. those mandated by the government (excluding passport fees).
- The employer guarantees to offer work for hours equal to at least three-fourths of the workdays in each 12-week period of the total employment period.
This position is being posted in connection with a future application for H-2B workers.
