Pros
The team, servers & bartenders alike were the most positive part of my experience. There is money to be made.
Cons
Corporate culture is disconnected to the reality of in house operations. Most of those I engaged with that operated at a corporate level communicated disingenuously and with condescension. Overwhelming lack of support. Opening an unreasonable number of restaurants takes priority over ensuring the ones already open are operating efficiently. If it’s been shared with you that there’s a number of opportunities for growth with this company because of how quickly they’re expanding, think about what that actually means and how it will affect your experience. The reputation preceding that of the company’s founder/CEO is attached to negative news headlines, discrimination based lawsuits and nasty word of mouth as shared and communicated by guests, business partners and those that work for the company. This is important to note because toxic leadership styles trickle down. Optics and appearance trump the reality of how people actually interact and treat one another. The menu is constantly in flux. Anticipate a number of awkward conversations with guests as to why things are always changing. Wildly high turnover rate. I witnessed 7 managers at one store quit within a year. Mediocre cuisine. Systems and operations are not well executed. Total lack of diversity and individuality which is not a surprise provided most patrons attribute the success of this company to its mastery of imitating the success of other restaurant groups..down to the font. Overall, this company’s superpower is marketing. Otherwise, it was an underwhelming experience that led me to the overarching realization that ultimately the investment was not worth the return even if for 40 hrs/wk. A well sold lie.