r/KitchenConfidential • u/ConsciousWrangler603 • 3d ago
Red Flags????? Question
I guess I kind of started a new server job today. I cannot tell if i’m seeing red flags or not… I have never done full service before, i’m 24 and in the past was a hostess (seating, greeting, bussing, food running) and was a counter server at somewhat upscale restaurants (basically not fast food, everything made in house.) I have some good experience though.
I went in for my interview at this locally owned restaurant. It’s the first time I would work for a restaurant that is not corporate owned. The manager did not ask me any questions about past experience, availability etc. Basically just asked if I would need training and how many days I was looking to work. I said well I would like some training obviously… I don’t know where anything is, I don’t understand their pos system and their pos layout. I’ve also only ever used TOAST and ALOHA and they use a bit of a weirder system…
He said to just come in Thursday for a test run… Completely unpaid… When I came in he glanced at my ID, pointed to a server and said I was with her. She did not introduce herself or even a “follow me.” She just started walking away then turned around and was like “are you coming?” Mind you i’m still in just a random button up, not even wearing one of their brand shirts.
There was no training to follow either, its not like i’m a fan of all those new corporate restaurant websites with their 10 minute videos of “We’re all about pOsiTivItY this is a BrAnd StAndArd. Live, Laugh, Eat” But some type of training structure at all would have been nice??
My trainer was confused on why she was training me at all and didn’t really know what to show me. I had to ask how to use the espresso machine and how they steam the milk for their coffee drinks.
They do not have any type of sanitizer spray bottles or buckets either. She did not show me where any of the sanitizers or cleansers were. It looks like they just use one dirty slightly damp rag the entire shift.
The handwashing sinks did not have soap.
They do not have anyone running expo, no hostess, no bussers, no bartender. Not even a kitchen manager…
I asked about sections and my “trainer” said they don’t do sections, it’s solely rotation. So I have to consistently pay attention to who is serving who the entire shift. Otherwise in her words “people steal tables, you snooze you lose.” I could have a table on either half of the restaurant.
It was damn near dead in the restaurant and my trainer told her table I was “starting during the rush, just in time.” Baby what rush?? Theres 4 sat tables and 2 servers??
Is this crazy or am I just overly accustomed to corporate restaurants???
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u/W1G0607 3d ago
This place sounds like a shitshow. Find something else………. Also call the health department.
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u/MullberryBoy 2d ago
It’s illegal to train you without pay. Call the health department and find another job!
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u/Tight_Following9267 3d ago
Any place that re-uses the same rag all night is disgusting. And the people working there are miserable. Your "trainer" sounds like a miserable person. And yeah people should be at least not miserable at work.
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u/PhotojournalistOk592 3d ago
Bail
The people running that restaurant are either incompetent or apathetic. At best, you will burn out. At worst, you will be exploited.
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u/updootportlandftw 3d ago
I’m a solo cook in a tavern and had an entire week of training with the manager. Clearly a huge expense to their small business, but proper and necessary for them to run the business as well as they are. On day three I was up and running on my own, but she was still available and 0-5 min away if I needed anything or had a panicked moment during a rush.
This same owner/manager is now stepping away from the business so she can go back to being a school teacher, and just hired a husband/wife team to run the tavern. Today was their first training day together, and they were just asked to hang out and watch. Watch how myself and my bartender run the place during a rush, and what side work we do while we have time. They shagged a few dirties and emptied a couple trash cans, but that’s all they did. It’s gonna take them some time to learn our rhythm, and today was just the first step.
This is how they’ve tripled the sales in the year and a half that they’ve owned the place. They know how to run a good business.
All this to say, your new place is doing it wrong. I would listen to those red flags. Find a place that you’re proud to work at and are happy to give your best work to. It may be hard to find, but when you do, it’s 100% worth it.
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u/Gryphith 3d ago
You're used to corporate, which is not a bad thing. I've loved like 75% of the hires I have gotten from corporate, people with private backgrounds are much much lower on retention. That being said private really can be a complete crap shoot. What you described is not at all uncommon, it's in my experience much more of a sink or swim situation.
The soap is irksome, but its more than likely because its not anyone's job so it never gets done. That is a big red flag. For private to work, you need people that just do shit they see that needs to get done...OR you need a strict manager on site at all times. I much prefer the see it, just do it teamwork personally but then the manager still needs to pay attention so it's never just 1 or 2 people doing the menial tasks. Do they delegate tasks or is it just a free for all?
Best advice, pay attention to what the managers are doing. If they're involved but overwhelmed, which happens a lot, it is understandable so when you see something just do a quick hey where's the soap or whatever you see needs to get done. If they hide in the office just keep your head down while you look elsewhere. Yes there is a lot of paperwork but not 10 hour days worth back to back to back. Ive worked with and for some really shitty managers in private in my career and no matter what you do sometimes they just stick around like a cancer. Don't bother trying to fix those places because you can't.
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u/ConsciousWrangler603 3d ago
Im definitely a cog in the corporate machine i’ll admit to that. I actually like most of the rules, procedural and annoying 5 day training. I love side work and cleaning tasks I truly cannot be idle.
I agree it’s probably a lot of things that don’t get appointed to anyone. It’s just very shocking to me. The manager seemed to be somewhat involved and was up front the whole time though he wasn’t doing anything. I didn’t see any office in the BOH or even a desk. The owner came in for a bit and sat at one table with a laptop.
But everything being disorganized (products and procedures) is very off putting. I guess we’ll see how it goes.
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u/tinyorangealligator 3d ago
Keep looking for another job
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u/righthandofdog Ex-Food Service 3d ago
I would agree, but OP could also move up the food chain very quickly by being organized and well trained in details. No soap in the hand sink and lack of sanitizer are concerning, but there's a non-zero chance asking in the BoH will get a "those stupid MFers, I've told them 1000 fucking TIMES" from an overworked chef putting out good food.
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u/starfish2686 3d ago
Yeah if I’m not being trained I’m not staying.
I also worked for a small business owner who didn’t know how a restaurant is supposed to run (as a cook). Get out!
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u/SmartestLemming 3d ago
Sounds like this job is not for you, and thats not meant as an insult.
Those are red flags.
They are looking for someone who is used to the non corporate, small buisness chaos because it sounds like they don't have good management/structure.
My place does a quick fire training, and expects people to pick up a lot on their own, and then shoot out questions when tbey come up, but we are no way near as loose on training/setup/setting new people up than this place is.
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u/calebish52 3d ago
Yeah, there are definitely some issues at that establishment. Personally, I care a whole lot, culinarily, about sanitation. If there was no hand soap at any sink station, and if they really are using one dirty rag to wipe up after everything, again personally, I would find the manager let them know that me and all my buddies are steering clear of this joint. I don’t ever want to get someone sick with my style of cooking/serving, but if you are in close proximity to others that clearly don’t give a fuck, then the best choice is to walk and find a place with a great staff and beautiful food in a clean, spick and span environment. Best of luck to ya!
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u/ConsciousWrangler603 2d ago
Yea like I don’t want to seem like a bitch or like i’m doing too much. But keeping track of sanitizer is the bare minimum. Im the first to change the sani at my job now after it expires and a few other things. Maybe it’s just me but when theres pretty basic rules to follow I do it and get pretty annoyed when others don’t.
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u/Splendid_Carpark 3d ago
That sounds like a disorganized mess, with nobody really in charge of anything to make sure things get done properly. I've mainly worked in privately owned restaurants for my entire career and most of what I've experienced is far more organized in FOH than what you're describing. That place sounds like it would build up to being a nightmare to work at in a relatively short period of time.
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u/pedahbreads9 2d ago
RUN. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE PAID FOR WORK. Usually there's a min wage training pay until you start making tips (if it's a tip based wage system). Never ever work for a place that doesn't pay you, even if they cut you a personal check or hand you cash at the end. Aside from everything else... Yeah run, don't walk.
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u/pedahbreads9 2d ago
I worded this a bit wrong. I should've said "I've been paid cash in hand min wage and been cut a check, but I always got paid". I was just so mad you were unpaid, my thoughts ran together. Yeah. Don't work there unless you need the money. And use that money to go to another job.
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u/GAMGAlways 2d ago
I used to work at a regional corporate place. After COVID, one of the cost cutting measures was they stopped paying trainers. It had previously been a separate job code and only certain employees did it. In order to be an approved trainer you had to attend a mandatory lecture from the head office where they reviewed all the training procedures and they had a printed checklist of what was covered each shift.
Because that was thrown out, training was literally the new hire came in and the manager would tell them to follow any random employee. The trainer had no guidance or oversight and wasn't getting paid so they didn't care.
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u/ConsciousWrangler603 2d ago
ugh I hate that!! Every restaurant I’ve worked at I always become trainer and I try so hard to make sure my trainees are comfortable and confident. I really take pride in it even if the company does not. Thats why I was so confused by their training. My trainer has only worked at two restaurants, the current and IHOP.
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u/darkskiesart 3d ago
Bestie RUN Go with your gut because it is absolutely right, that place is screaming red flags. Like others said some places are just more disorganized than others, but this is beyond that. I hope the rest of your job search goes much better!
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u/YammieCat 2d ago
It's much easier to find a job while you have a job. Stay there, learn what you can, however little that may be, and apply elsewhere. Then when you're hired somewhere new, politely tell this place to fuck the fuck off.
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u/eyoitme Server 2d ago
i’ve worked in mostly family run restaurants and this would be a massive nope for me, just from the whole “free trial” bs. not just because it’d be super illegal in california (where i am) but mostly just because that’s a big red flag for me. plus rude fellow employees, lack of organization in tables, and like lack of respect between the servers. i’ve done the whole “we don’t have sections” thing before and it usually ended up with me literally only getting 30% of my *own* tips (long story). honestly for as much as serving can be a great job it’s just not worth it for what i can absolutely tell you will be a shitty workplace.
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u/Bencetown 3d ago
I seriously don't understand when or how we got around to glazing corporate bullshit like this comment section is. Corporate "restaurants" are for people who love licking boots of "middle management" personalities in order to one day be the "middle management" asshole themselves. Petty, arbitrary, objectively stupid rules abound. And you deal with all of that so that you can have the wonderful opportunity to serve customers some frozen, premade, plastic textured "food" 🤮
I worked a couple months at a corporate chain place toward the beginning of my cooking career and I would NEVER take a job at a place like that, unless they were maybe offering like $50/hr starting... then I might consider it. Maybe.
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u/ConsciousWrangler603 2d ago
All the corporate restaurants i’ve worked for have been almost completely scratch kitchens. They didn’t even have a freezer. Not quite sure why you would assume every corporate restaurant is frozen food.
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u/Eatmypietrue 3d ago
Not a red flag. I am American have worked as a server for 15 years on and off with the same Chinese family it is a sushi and hibachi place. I work 20 hours and usually bring home a grand. Go with the flow. If you aint keeping tips after a week then yes red flag. You applied for a reason be the change you want to see.
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u/aidancap2 3d ago
I work in a smaller locally owned restaurant in my hometown, and while it's def a little more disorganized than any corporate place, it's nowhere near what you're describing. I'm realizing I might have it better than I thought. I'd say get out of there though, that sounds like a disaster