The Promotion 2023

Doug Stauber is the assistant manager of a Donaldson’s supermarket in Chicago, where daily life is a careful balance of managing a busy store, keeping customers satisfied, and navigating a growing sense of ambition. He believes he is a near certainty to become the manager of a new Donaldson’s branch planned for construction just a few blocks from his home. The pressures of this job weigh on him as he deals with a restless group of teenagers lingering in the parking lot, a steady stream of negative comments on customer survey cards (largely driven by the local troublemakers), and a constant stream of small, frustrating incidents—like a foreign customer repeatedly tapping him over a box of Teddy Grahams. A rumor about his past as a Junior Olympics gymnast lingers in the background, coloring how colleagues and customers perceive him.

Into this routine arrives Richard Wehlner and his family from Quebec, and suddenly the dynamics at the store shift. Richard is brought on as an assistant manager alongside Doug, and it quickly becomes clear that the competition for the manager’s chair is not simply about doing the job well. Richard carries his own burdens, including a history of substance use and a tendency to speak out of turn. The two men find themselves on a collision course as the store’s leadership scrutinizes them, including a tense moment over a sign in the deli section that proclaims the deli clerk as Employee of the Month for “cutting the cheese.” Richard admits to being the on-duty manager when the sign is discovered, arguing that he didn’t realize the phrase could be interpreted as derogatory to customers. He explains that the phrase is a Canadian usage he misunderstood, and the incident becomes a flashpoint in their rivalry.

The personal lives of both men become entangled in the professional contest. Doug faces financial pressure as he contemplates buying a house, and his wife Jen is considering night school to improve their prospects. Richard’s family life is strained as his wife Laurie and their daughter move temporarily to Scotland with her parents after signs that he is losing control of his behavior. The tension at home reflects the strain at work, and the two men’s competing ambitions increasingly feel like a test of character as much as a test of leadership.

A chain of incidents complicates the feud. While assisting a customer in the parking lot, Doug is struck from behind by a bottle of Yoo-hoo thrown by a member of the neighborhood gang. In response, he confronts the youths and uses mace in a moment of intensified confrontation. In a separate break-room incident, Doug, attempting to vent frustration, tosses frozen Tater Tots toward a trash can and accidentally strikes Richard’s hand; Richard improvises a reaction by wearing a wrist brace and pretending to be injured at work. The episodes intensify tension between the two men and affect their standing with colleagues and the community.

Doug later delivers an apology speech at a local community meeting, seeking to restore trust and to emphasize that a beautiful day should not be spoiled by a few bad actors. He voices a message of accountability and communal responsibility, and his words are well-received by many attendees who see him as someone trying to take the high road after a period of disruptive events. After this public moment, a brief meeting among the board of directors, the assistant managers, and community leaders takes place, where Richard’s choice of language during the preceding exchange causes new friction—referring to the group as “black apples.”

The path to the manager’s job comes down to a final interview, with serious consequences for both men. Richard faces a drug test due to recent marijuana use, a moment that underscores how personal history can impact professional opportunity. Doug, meanwhile, is informed that he has secured the promotion because Richard fails the drug test and the third candidate is deemed too junior for the role. Doug’s reaction is exuberant—he celebrates with cartwheels and backflips as he crosses the street, a public display that confirms the earlier rumors about his athletic past. His victory sets the stage for a new chapter at Donaldson’s, even as Richard returns to Quebec with his family. Reports from his former store in Quebec suggest that he later becomes the manager there after he reportedly plays a key role in stopping a fire that began as an accident, a turn of events that closes this particular rivalry on a somewhat hopeful note for his future, even as Doug steps into the position he has pursued.

Across these events, the story traces how ambition, personal history, and community pressures intersect in a modern workplace. It explores how both men define leadership, how marriage and family stress test their lives, and how public perception shifts in response to a series of missteps, apologies, and moments of pride. The narrative ultimately presents a portrait of workplace competition that is not merely about who wears the manager’s badge, but about who can navigate responsibility, repair relationships, and respond to a community’s needs when pressure mounts.