Long shifts, no breaks, poor work environment - Line Cook Applebee's Employee Review

1.0
4 Aug 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good starting wage Good training sessions Rewards to increase productivity Eight dollars a day worth of free food Good location

Cons

Long shifts without breaks (13 hours with a 45 minute break, 8 1/2 hours and no breaks) Constant micro management Loud Cocky, chest thumping coworkers No one is happy to be there Half the crew barely speaks English Hard to communicate Some people take 20 minute or more smoke breaks Snobby wait staff Constant knit picking over the stupidest things No one sets up anything but they expect you to meet ticket times. Things are constantly under prepped, meaning you have to prep items for the line in the middle of a rush. People can yell and scream at you without the slightest objection from management Managers would rather smoke cigs than actually pitch in and help Computer training sessions are a giant waste of time. When you finally start working on the line you find out 80% of what you just learned isn't correct. Posted learning aids are "incorrect" according to management. No bussers, so line cooks also have to stock their station with dishes even in the middle of the rush. Expo workers would rather scream at the top of their lungs all day than help meet ticket time goals It's a corporate restaurant, they treat you like dirt, work you like a mule, yell all day, but tell you that they want a "fun and friendly" staff. Line cooks have to do basically everything while closing. Taking out all garbage so the wait staff can leave 45 minutes earlier than the cooks.

Explore other reviews about Applebee's

5.0
19 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of shift opportunities to make additional money

Cons

Fast paced and very overwhelming

4.0
9 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The managers are pretty laid-back which makes for an easy work environment. That is a restaurant so it can be high stressed but everybody handled their stress really well culture was really good as well.

Cons

Not a lot of cons as long as you can get along with different personalities

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