u/IndependenceFit9691

I moved recently to Ottawa.

I’m trying to decide if a job switch makes sense financially and practically.
Right now I work as a Shift Manager at McDonald’s in downtown Ottawa earning $18.90/hr. It’s literally a 2-minute walk from my place, so I don’t spend anything on transport. The job is stable, but I’ve found the environment a bit toxic lately, which is why I started applying elsewhere.
I recently got an offer from Dairy Queen in Kanata as a Shift Supervisor at $21.50/hr. Initially I interviewed for Assistant Store Manager, and they liked me, but they want me to start as Shift Supervisor first (with a higher-than-usual pay for that role, apparently).
Here’s my concern:
I’d need a bus pass (~$140/month)
Commute to Kanata from downtown
I currently don’t pay any transport costs
I might eventually move closer, but right now I’m on a month-to-month lease downtown
So I’m trying to figure out:
Is the pay bump (from $18.90 → $21.50/hr) actually worth it after transport costs and commute time?
Or is it smarter to stay in a walkable job even if the environment isn’t great?
Would appreciate honest opinions from locals in Ottawa or anyone who’s made a similar switch.

Edit 1: I sincerely want to thank you all for all these inputs. I decided to drop the Dairy Queen plan and continue with McDonald’s. I also asked for a meeting with my supervisor to put this in front of him and negotiate some deals so that I could stay. Because, my supervisor reached out to me knowing (he got to know since I applied for other McDonald’s too and they called him 😅) that I’m applying elsewhere are is trying to fix stuff for me to retain me here. So, I’m gonna have a discussion with him again and negotiate my issues and come to an agreement. Thanks again.

I moved recently to Ottawa.

I’m trying to decide if a job switch makes sense financially and practically.
Right now I work as a Shift Manager at McDonald’s in downtown Ottawa earning $18.90/hr. It’s literally a 2-minute walk from my place, so I don’t spend anything on transport. The job is stable, but I’ve found the environment a bit toxic lately, which is why I started applying elsewhere.
I recently got an offer from Dairy Queen in Kanata as a Shift Supervisor at $21.50/hr. Initially I interviewed for Assistant Store Manager, and they liked me, but they want me to start as Shift Supervisor first (with a higher-than-usual pay for that role, apparently).
Here’s my concern:
I’d need a bus pass (~$140/month)
Commute to Kanata from downtown
I currently don’t pay any transport costs
I might eventually move closer, but right now I’m on a month-to-month lease downtown
So I’m trying to figure out:
Is the pay bump (from $18.90 → $21.50/hr) actually worth it after transport costs and commute time?
Or is it smarter to stay in a walkable job even if the environment isn’t great?
Would appreciate honest opinions from locals in Ottawa or anyone who’s made a similar switch.

Edit 1: I sincerely want to thank you all for all these inputs. I decided to drop the Dairy Queen plan and continue with McDonald’s. I also asked for a meeting with my supervisor to put this in front of him and negotiate some deals so that I could stay. Because, my supervisor reached out to me knowing (he got to know since I applied for other McDonald’s too and they called him 😅) that I’m applying elsewhere are is trying to fix stuff for me to retain me here. So, I’m gonna have a discussion with him again and negotiate my issues and come to an agreement. Thanks again.

I currently work as a Shift Manager at McDonald’s Canada making $18.90/hr and recently interviewed at Dairy Queen Grill & Chill for an Assistant Manager position, during initial salary discussions, I told them I was aiming around 50k since the indeed job post has a range of 45k to 55k for both Assistant Manager and GM role.

They ended up offering me a Shift Supervisor role instead, when asked they mentioned there’s a lot of room for advancement at that location. I checked the contract and saw the pay was $21.50/hr, which is a bit high for Shift Supervisor. I initially thought that they would lowball me to $19 change since most QSR supervisor roles usually offer that.

I wanted honest opinions from people who worked at DQ Grill & Chill:

- How’s the work culture?
- How stressful are the rushes compared to McDonald’s?
- Do they actually promote internally?
- How much does DQ shift supervisors get paid?
- Do you think they offered higher because I interviewed for Assistant Manager initially?
- Overall, would you say it’s worth joining?

Would appreciate honest advice from current/former employees.