Wow Bao Reviews

3.2

50% would recommend to a friend

(21 total reviews)

Geoff Alexander

37% approve of CEO

40% positive business outlook

Wow Bao has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 21 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Wow Bao employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Restaurants and food service industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

21 reviews
1.0
13 June 2023

Don't Work Here

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You get a discount card to several Chicago resturaunt.

Cons

There are several cons to working for Wow Bao. The first and primary reason is it is run by an egotistical, erratic, and out of touch CEO. From my time working for Wow Bao I saw very high turnover and management did nothing to improve it. They swept most resignations and firings under the rug. Seeing 4 people leave Wow Bao in the span of 7 months should be an obvious indicator to management that something is wrong with the culture at Wow Bao. However the CEO has too much of an ego to accept constructive feedback and retaliates towards anyone that brings any concerns up. Things to be aware of before taking a job at Wow Bao - You will get 5 days a year of PTO after working 6 months. - There is no 401K matching at all, and that will not be changing. - There is no WFH flexibility which is also something they will not be changing. Unless you are one of the CEO's favorites. - Toxic culture around taking time off, leaving work on time, taking lunches, and or taking sick days. They will gaslight you into saying they never enforced the things they say about taking time but there is definitely a stigma around it that is toxic. It makes the employees feel like they need to overwork themselves to get into the good graces of the CEO. This has led to burnout among several employees. - The bonus structure is impossible to meet. However in the interviews they will insure you that you will be getting your full bonus easily. The truth of the matter is the team paced 30% to their full bonus last quarter. keep that in mind when making your decision. Along with that if you give feedback on the bonus structure you will be expected to come up with the solution to fix it but that can not be changing the goal it is set at. Good luck - There is not a safe environment to provide feedback without retaliation. - Gaslighting and micromanaging is a huge part of their management style. - No opportunity for growth and no advocates for employees. -10 days additional paid leave for pregnancy which is mid-evil at best. There is a whole lot more that you will come to find out if you take a job there but I would advise against it.

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Wow Bao Response
3y
Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience on the Wow Bao team. Your feedback is genuinely important to us. We appreciate and value your comments. If you’d like to further discuss your feedback, we invite you to contact Deena Ellis, Director of Employee Experience at (773) 279-5208.
1.0
28 Feb 2024

The Most Toxic Place I've Ever Worked

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some people who work there are amazing individuals! Unfortunately, some are toxic people who will step on you to climb the corporate ladder and Wow Bao encourages that.

Cons

So, so many. Then hours are stupid. 8:30am-5:30pm so they can get an extra hour of work out of you. Don't you DARE try to take a ;punch break or everyone will give you side eye for the rest of the day. The CEO is a megalomaniac narcissist who wants to control every little detail of the company including breathing down the necks of low level workers. He says Wow Bao should "feel like home" but don't you dare decorate your desk in any way or you'll have to take it all down and feel the wrath of the CEO who doesn't actually know how to do anything himself but pretends he can do everything. He unabashedly plays favorites and fosters a toxic environment where you feel uncomfortable speaking up about anything. He'll say one thing and then get mad at you when you do that thing and gaslight you into thinking you did something wrong. He does not admit mistakes and loves blaming others for the company's shortcomings. It was absolute hell working there and my mental health has improved tenfold since I finally got out of there. Also, their HR department is a JOKE. I don't even know how it's legal. The HR "department" is just one lady who lives in DENVER. The upper management is just a good ol' boys club so don't bother trying to be included if you're a woman. And it's worth noting that they're constantly on the verge of collapsing. They lie about the number of active restaurants all the time. Their LinkedIn presence is a sham. The whole business model of "ghost kitchens" is just a gross way to make fast money without caring about anyone or anything in the process. Finally, every single person there other than the CEO, CFO and maybe one or two other guys is making $10-$30k less than they're worth. The turnover rate is hilarious. Someone was quitting almost weekly while I worked there. And it's not THAT big of an office. They have scooters in the office so they can pretend it's a "fun" "cool" place to work but don't be fooled. You'll regret working here once the romance wears off and you're left overworked, underpaid and undervalued in the worst corporate environment any self respecting person could find themselves in.

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Wow Bao Response
2y
Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your experience on the Wow Bao team. Your feedback is genuinely important to us. We appreciate and value your comments. If you’d like to further discuss your feedback, we invite you to contact Deena Ellis, Director of Employee Experience at (773) 279-5208.
3.0
22 Aug 2018

A Review of Ice and Fire

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Supportive, Friendly, Easygoing Staff, Simple work, great supervisors and managers

Cons

Corporate, Communication, Constant Anxiety, Walking on eggshells, discrimination, vengeance on employees who speak up against injustice, immensely boring.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 21 Reviews

Glassdoor has 21 Wow Bao reviews submitted anonymously by Wow Bao employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Wow Bao is right for you.