Connect, grow and thrive: How Naveeka’s building a fun and rewarding career she can truly own

From starting as a Team Member in our Fountain Gate store, then moving to the behind-the-scenes work in our Support Office, Naveeka has made great strides and her story at Schnitz is far from finished.

From Santiago to Sydney: Camila’s journey and how she found the right spice for success

Camila Vial’s Schnitz journey started when she came to Australia looking for adventures. At Schnitz, she not only found a means to fund her travels but a welcoming workplace that supported her and her newborn son. Now, as a Manager at Schnitz Broadway, Camila shares how she’s building a fantastic team around her.

Adventures down under

Camila Vial is our hard working and extraordinary Store Manager at Schnitz Broadway in Sydney. Hailing from the bustling metropolis of Santiago, Chile, Camila originally studied Chinese medicine and worked in holistic care for a couple of years before deciding to go out and see more of the world.

In 2016, she landed in Australia with a Working Holiday Visa in hand.

“I originally came here to work and travel – just basically be on holiday,” she says. “I arrived in September, and by the beginning of October, I was working at Schnitz.”

For Camila, starting out as a Team member Schnitz was a way to save money to continue her travels and adventures, but she also loved the in-store buzz.

“The hospitality industry was completely new to me, but the pay rate at Schnitz was really good, and one of the things I remember from my first week was how nice everyone was.”

Little did she know, seven years later, she’d still be thriving and growing at Schnitz. And her journey is far from over.

Finding balance and stability

What Camila found at Schnitz, and what has made her stay all this time, was a stable yet flexible working environment filled with real people who genuinely care.

This meant that a couple of years later, Camila was able to continue her studies in remedial massage while also working part-time at Schnitz.

“Like I said, Schnitz offered good pay, and I loved the environment and my boss. I also had real friends at Schnitz!”

When Camila discovered she was expecting her first child, her whole perspective changed. She realised the importance of securing a bright future for her newborn son, so she took some time off and focused on preparing for the next steps.

“I realised that I didn’t want to massage anymore. But if I was going to stay in the hospitality industry, I needed something stable with fixed hours and flexibility to accommodate my other responsibilities.”

When Camila decided to come back to Schnitz a year later, she was not only welcomed but encouraged by Francesca Fimmano, her Business Development Manager, to step up to an Assistant Manager position.

“My boss has always been very understanding, so I decided I’m going to stay here and I’m going to do more. There has always been space for me to grow here, so at this point, I’m happy learning more.”

Growing together

Now as a Store Manager at Schnitz Broadway, Camila is busy building a diverse and inclusive team around her. Her day starts with dropping off her son at daycare before heading to Schnitz and checking in with her team.

“I love the diversity of our team. When I first came here, my English wasn’t great, and Schnitz really gave me an opportunity to improve that. Now if someone isn’t so confident in speaking, I’ll start them on the salad bar and then, with time, they start talking and come out of their shell.”

For Camila, it’s important that her Team Members are thriving and growing at their own pace at Schnitz. This starts with a conversation with each Team Member about their goals and ambitions.

The qualities Camila looks for when finding new people to join the team are attitude, commitment and responsibility.

“I don’t need to know if you have the skills because we can teach you that. I want to find people who are willing to learn new things. The rest: to train them, show them and lead them – that’s my job.”

Camila has come a long way from when she first arrived in Australia, and we are incredibly proud of everything she’s achieved. Through a career at Schnitz, she is continuing to deliver great food and experiences while still chasing her own happiness, hopes and dreams.

A Schnitz icon: Mylee’s journey from part-timer to Franchise Partner

Mylee Di Salvatore lives and breathes hospo. Discovering her love of hospitality as a high school student, she developed real skills that set her up for life at Schnitz. Today, Mylee is continuing our success story as well as her own as one of our Franchise Partners! The key ingredient to Mylee’s success? Family values and a team that always has her back.

Hard works pay off

Many of us here would call Mylee a Schnitz icon. When you talk to her, her enthusiasm for delivering great food and experiences comes shining through – and it’s so bloody contagious! She first joined the Schnitz family as a Team Member in 2013.

“I entered the workforce when I was 15, as a part-timer at a couple fast food chains,” she says. “I absolutely love the hospitality industry. I’ve worked in a few places over the years but when you actually get to make and deliver such a great product, like at Schnitz, it makes a big difference.”

While juggling two jobs on top of schooling might seem like a lot for most teenagers, for Mylee, it’s a testament to her incredible work ethic. From a young age, she learned the importance of hard work and the value of owning your own business.

“I got it from my Dad,” she says. “He’s been running his own business since he was 18. He’s 53 now, and he has no regrets. He says it can be tiring and stressful at times, but it’s the best thing he’s ever done in his life.”

Owning it while it’s hot

It’s no wonder Mylee eventually ended up becoming a Franchise Partner with us at Schnitz. But her journey to get to that point wasn’t all plain sailing.

“I left Schnitz for a bit and was an Accounts Manager for an auto aftermarket company, and ended up hating it. It was literally just talking on the phone all day and staring at a computer screen – that’s not fun at all. I missed making people feel happy and the rush you get from a busy service.”

Luckily for us, Mylee still had connections with the franchisees she’d worked with at Schnitz as part of the Training team. And when one of them reached out looking for a Store Manager, Mylee knew it was time to move back into the industry she loved.

“I became the Store Manager at Schnitz Airport West and was there for three years. Then I got to a point where I’d been working for everyone else and I thought it was time I had a go doing it for myself.”

That’s when Mylee seized the red-hot opportunity to become a Franchise Partner and own a part of the Schnitz legacy.

“I had always envisioned I’d own my own restaurant one day and be my own boss. And I’ve got this big love for Schnitz and what we do. So, for me, it was a no brainer. It was the right company and the right decision.”

Good food that brings people together

Now as a Franchise Partner, Mylee’s in charge of all the day-to-day operations of her store. This includes opening and setting up for the day, as well as doing the rosters and payroll for her team.

“Most of all, I love seeing customers come in and enjoy really good food. Food brings people together. And our food is bloody good! It literally makes people happy.”

For Mylee, it’s about inspiring others around her. She works hard to build a close-knit team by fostering a sense of belonging and purpose.

“I’ve worked in or helped set up more than 10 Schnitz stores over the years, and one of the biggest things for me is instilling family values. It’s about making each staff member feel valued; it’s about praising them even on the smallest accomplishments. It’s all about family, and it’s all about the food.”

Through her dedication and hard work, Mylee has achieved so many great things in her career and we’re so incredibly lucky to have her partner with us. Mylee truly is a living Schnitz icon.

Real opportunities and a perspective shift: Sylvia’s story of unlikely growth and endless potential

When Sylvia Tan joined the Schnitz family, it was on a short-term basis, something to get her through uni… or so she thought! More than just a job, Sylvia quickly found real opportunities, real skills and real people. From Team Member to Store Manager of our Liverpool store, find out how this true legend built the career she never expected at Schnitz and now supports others to achieve their goals.

‘Why don’t you go for it?’ So, I did

If Sylvia could go back and give some advice to her younger self, she’d say, “Buckle up because you’re in for an interesting ride.”

When she joined Schnitz as a Team Member back in 2018, Sylvia didn’t put much thought into it. She just wanted to earn a bit of extra cash while studying Film at uni.

“My sister was like, ‘They’re hiring at Schnitz, why don’t you go for it?’ So, I did, and I was like, you know what? I’ll probably stay in this job maybe a year or two.”

Fast forward six years (and counting!) and Sylvia’s still here. She’s learnt real skills that set her up, and she’s now the Store Manager at Schnitz Liverpool in New South Wales. And with an amazing team of true legends around her, her Schnitz journey is far from over.
“I really thought at Schnitz, you’d be kind of stuck doing one job. My assumption going into it was like, ‘OK, they’re gonna put you at the front of house, that’s what you’re doing’ But then I was offered a Team Leader role three months in!”
Sylvia’s Business Development Manager saw her potential right from the start and encouraged her to take the next step. But Sylvia still wasn’t sure about committing to one place so soon; all of that changed when a global pandemic hit.
“That was a massive wake-up call for all of us. I realised, I’m good at this. It’s stable. I like working at Schnitz, I might as well keep going and see where it takes me. Then my Business Development Manager said, ‘Why don’t you try out being an Assistant Manager? You’ve already gained most of the skills.’ And I was like, sure, why not? This makes sense.”

The hotspot

Sylvia’s store buzzes with energy thanks to regular happy customers from the local high school, TAFE, hospital and nearby office buildings.

“I’m very attached to the store because of the people who come in. We have a ton of regulars and you really get to build a relationship with them. When the clock strikes three, high schoolers flood in for their Schnitz fix. And in the evenings, we get a lot of families and people who do late-night shopping. I’d say it’s a pretty diverse clientele.”

But it’s not just the customers who make Schnitz an awesome place to work. For Sylvia, it’s about the brick-and-mortar store itself and the people that bring it to life.

The beauty of Sylvia’s Schnitz store is not only its active and buzzing atmosphere (and its delicious food!) but also how its customers and team members reflect the rich diversity of the community.

“We’re in a very multicultural suburb,” says Sylvia. “There are people from the Pacific Islands, Asia, the Middle East – you name it. I think it’s great – a true reflection of where we live.”

Shout outs

Today, Sylvia is proud of her team and the store she manages. She works hard to make sure everything runs smoothly and that everyone is having fun and growing. Her success has been aided by the amazing mentors she’s had along the way who have helped guide her to become a better leader.

“I’d like to make a shout out to Francesca Fimmano, who has been a big supporter of me and what I do at Schnitz. Also to Mikaulie who is amazing and has been super helpful.”

Just as someone saw her potential at the start, Sylvia now empowers others to chase their own happiness, hopes and dreams.

“When I’m looking for new people to join the team, I like to see what their goals are. We try to nurture them and encourage growth. For example, one of our cooks, who’s been with us for a year and half, is really into cooking now. He just enrolled in a course at Le Cordon Bleu. Just giving him that support, it really shows in his work. He’s got a more positive attitude and more purpose in his role in the kitchen now.”

A lot of people don’t realise that you’ll jump into more than just a job at Schnitz. Just like Sylvia and her growing team, you’ll find real mates who have your back, and the support you need at every step of your Schnitz journey… with plenty of laughs along the way!