cook

host/hostess

server

dishwasher

restaurant manager

ACG Texas, IHOP

From start to finish, every day at that abominable workplace was grueling. The pay was ridiculous (of course, any waiter/waitress anywhere will say the same thing), despite the "ever-encouraging" tip bonus. One of the many reasons it was uncalled for was the fact that it was NOT worth it. As a waiter/waitress at this particular Ihop, you are expected to be on your feet *at all times*, except for when you're on break. You are expected to greet every customer, seat them, get their drinks, and wait on them (if another waiter/waitress has not already done so or is not available to do so). It does not matter that you were assigned certain sections, or that your section is full to the brim, or that you are incredibly busy with other tasks. You are, at all times during your (minimum) 8 hour shift, REQUIRED to greet anyone who walks in (again, that's only if there's no one else around to do it, like say a host, who only worked the weekends to begin with). But this is just the beginning. On top of being required to take care of EVERY customer, section seating be (excuse the language) damned, you are also expected to clean the tables, reset them, make sure the sugar caddies and syrup bottles are full, sweep the floors, roll silverware if there is not any, make more tea/coffee if you run out, keep up with customers' demands, take food to tables (even if they're not your tables in your section) in order to keep the food from going bad under the heat lamps (and deal with grouchy cooks who yell at you if there's food stuck waiting for even a minute), keep the floors clean, restock any and all butter, milk, sugar, syrups, lettuce, soup, etc. if the supply is diminished. Not to mention, at the end of your shift, you are expected to go down a list of tasks assigned to you based off of your section number (these tasks included cleaning, restocking, and properly labeling the different food stations, such as ice cream, salad bar, syrups, etc.) and complete them accurately while also dealing with customers who might sit in your section without waiting to be seated, or pausing to seat customers yourself and taking care of them if the waiter/waitress in that section is not available to do so. Then, after all that is complete and you are an hour or two over your scheduled work time, you are THEN required to clock out your time and retrieve your credit card tips. But sometimes, if you couldn't squeeze in the time to clean your section and roll a certain amount of silverware, you were expected to WORK OFF THE CLOCK and complete it, or you were threatened termination. This is what life is like as a waiter/waitress at the Ihop in San Angelo (mind you, it is the ONLY Ihop in San Angelo). And that is only the small bit that I can recall at the moment. Oh, and one more thing- you are required to answer the phone if it rings as well, or take to-go orders at the front. It was definitely a team effort, so the work load was never TOO unbearable, but on the days that one or two people called in, it was basically every man for himself. I will never, EVER, work a waitressing job again in my life, thanks to this job. It was only a waste of time and energy, because as I said before, the pay was insanely low for the amount of work put in (and the tips didn't help either, because despite being the best waitress I could possibly be, people are cheap and inconsiderate in that town).

What is the best part of working at the company?
If you can get in as a server instead of a host then you are good to go because servers get all the tips but the hosts are the ones who seat the people and also get them drinks after they take the drink order which is really something that most of the servers do at IHOP unless it's in the morning time and it's a busier time but the hosts don't make any more compensation for doing what the servers are actually supposed to do and the hosts are just helping them out so I don't feel like it's right to do that to the house when they are doing half the work that the servers are but getting no pay for it that's why I decided it wasn't worth it for me plus they will cut your hours because they say labor is too high if you're a host any other position it seems like they don't really do that but if you're a host it seems like you have minimal hours at Best.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
They're very very strict about being there on time and also about making sure to give them 3 hours notice before you have to call out of your shift if you don't do this you will get written up trust me it happened to me and I just started there. 


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
At my IHOP there's a lot of Spanish people so it's a lot of people who are real clicky and all kind of hang out together because they're the same Culture I don't know if that's how it is at every IHOP I just know that's how it is in my IHOP so it can be very frustrating because it seems like you're more than minority there than anything else if your not Spanish 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Show up at 9:00 a.m. clock in get a cup of coffee you can get drinks there for free as an employee so that's a bonus once I had a couple drinks in my coffee I get ready to go check the door to see if people are coming in waiting to be seated if they are then I go and find out where to see them and then I get a rotation going. Throughout the day I will have servers randomly ask me if I can get them drinks for this table get them drinks for that table. I also do the to-go orders when people walk in and ask if they can do it to go order or if they call over the phone to make it to go order that can be a bonus sometimes because you get tips from people sometimes when you do the to go orders and you have them sign the receipt copy. Servers are also required to give a tip out but it's very very small amount because the tip out goes to everybody except the managers so the bussers the cooks the dishwashers all that stuff so you don't really get very much off tips in that general sense but when people decide to tip you on the to go orders it can be good sometimes not always though just sometimes. Then generally after about 12:00 p.m. it starts to slow down quite a bit and so as it starts to slow down the managers will usually send you home early and cut your hours even shorter even though they've already been cut and so you probably work a total of maybe sometimes is a little as three to as much as 5 hours in a day 5 days a week at minimum wage. It's definitely not very beneficial that way.

Hours are only flexible if you're married or have children.  If you're single, you have no other obligations except to them.  If you stand up for yourself or dare tell them no, they pull the guilt trip and, if that doesn't work, cut your hours down to nothing.  Management is two-faced to say the least.

A lot of drama in the store.  There never is a floor manager. Servers are made shift leads because management won't hire and train extra cooks to work the cook line. Therefore they're stuck cooking on the line and not in the dining room. Eventually, even the shift leads get sick of their plates being piled too high (after all, they aren't salaried) and quit. Others have stuck it out, knowing no one else will hire and put up with them.

Weekends are extremely busy.  Depending on who's hosting, your whole section can be sat all at oncer or skipping multiple times in a row.  Gotta love pettiness.  No one likes to run food for anyone else. It's terrible to be in the middle of an order when your name is shouted by the expo to come run your order.  If you drop what you're doing to go do so, you run the risk of killing your tip with your new table.  If you don't drop what you're doing, you run the risk of your coworker running only half the food or the wrong order all together.  Let's hear it for those shift leaders!  They do an awesome job training other employees.

During the week, business is spotty.  It's either a madhouse or you do busy work until you're cut for the day.  Night time, is like the ghost town, but is prone to unexpected rushes.  Having a skeleton crew on: a handful of servers, no manager, no prep cook, one cook and no dishwasher to keep up with the mess that's been piling up since midshift, it can feel like you're drowning. I still made my money, but I did not emerge unscathed.  The long wait times due to the mininal staff would inevitably lead to guest complaints. Guests often would not return.  Management, more often than not, would shift the blame to the server (i.e. write them up) and then drop it.

The customer is always right even when they pull the nuttiest b.s. to get the upper hand i.e. physically threatening the server and/or calling the server profane homophobic epithets.  These are just two examples out of many. Management did not like to intervene either time as they did not like conflct and often claimed they were "busy."  If I were in charge and a long-time gold star employee was treated as such, I would have asked the customers in question to leave.  There were more than enough witnesses who saw and heard everything.  They had at least eight cameras in the place.  It's not like there wasn't proof. 

The only upside is I made some really good friends with customers who are like family to me now.  A few former coworkers still keep in touch.  I'll never work for the company again.  Good riddance.

Most staff was friendly enough and overall it's not a cesspit - they make things work and usually help each other out with work to be done. Once you get in a routine, it's not horrible. But there are problems. 

Staff/shift management was haphazard. Servers governed themselves for the most part - which was at times a good thing, but a lot of problems go unaddressed and it makes for a bad atmosphere if people keep an "I got mine" mindset. Most don't, but the few that do throw a wrench in the mix.

 If you're a server you're expected to watch EVERY entering customer whether it's "your table" or not; even if 4 other servers are working. It works if you get in a good routine - but it's not a welcoming atmosphere while you're "new" (they do have a "probationary period" they remind you of with every tiny mishap) & communication is a consistant issue.

A lot of blameshifting/scapegoating and work left undone between shifts. Understaffing made up a huge portion of the issues - but turnover is high and it's kind of a self-fulfilling issue (more people would help, but only if they dont get so fed up with it they leave). Drama & gossip at times, but its normal for any workplace. Getting a uniform that actually fits is like pulling teeth.

NO BREAKS. You might get 5 minutes if you hit a slow spot - even twice in a shift if you're lucky - but it doesn't matter if your shift is 4 hours or 12 hours: they do not give actual/clocked-out breaks & while you can ask others to cover for a minute, it's a courtesy & sometimes disproportionate between people.

I wasnt impressed at how illness is treated - being a restaurant, there should be high standards with food/prep/server saftey, but they don't seem to care if you're sick & that issue is fairly recurrent (again - severely understaffed.. But not a good excuse to put people's health at risk regardless, in my opinion). This was the determining point for me, personally.

Overall it wasn't HORRIBLE - not the worst I've seen, but I've definitely experienced better atmosphere elsewhere. There were good times, too, & again, getting in a routine helped - but not enough & I personally wasnt satisfied with the level of professionalism in some areas. 

The pay is average & dependent on tips/customer satisfaction - so whether it's worth the money is subjective (but definitely affected by understaffing & overall atmosphere if staff isnt organized, are disgruntled, or customers have to wait too long - it can be good too, though).

It's honestly an average server job - it's a stressful industry in general, so some issues you'd have anywhere in similar establishments; but ideally, I would have liked to have seen effort to raise the bar above just "average". I would continue to go as a customer, though.

Management can be hit or miss. It depends on who is the manager. Some nice, helpful, and respectful. Another can be rude, lazy, uncooperative, etc. They can show up late, leave during the shift, unable to find, or take forever to assist when asked.  It can be hard to have a flexible schedule especially if they are understaffed. Coworkers and cooks are super cool and it's fun with them. The workload is way more than what we get compensated for. Business can be hit or miss but it's usually busy at crazy times. You can make decent tips, but it is definitely not consistent. Depending on the trainer, you may learn what you need or you may not. You don't get extra pay for training. Employee meals can get discounts but often not much of a discount and it depends on the manager and the day on what you get as a discount. At least you can get free drinks through the shift. Food is pretty good, enjoyed eating the food and customers were often happy with the food. The hardest part is cooperation and clear communication. Are you being quintuple sat and big parties? Are you having a difficult party? Are you physically ill or hurt? Are you being asked to do things you cannot do at the same time? Are the directions or information given to you contradictory or confusing?  Well, you may not get any leeway or respectful conversation over that. But instead, you may be put in the least lucrative section and looked at as less competent, etc. Often work overtime and have a lot of extra work to do that keeps you on the clock much longer than needed. Favorite employees get away with things that everyone else is yelled at for. There were good memories made at this job, not because of management, but from customers and coworkers. Sometimes manager brought in food, especially on tough or hard days. Did get 20 bucks when getting through an inspection. The point of Sale system is very confusing and changing often so is somewhat difficult for new employees to memorize. Experience technical difficulties fairly often. Base pay is the bare minimum. You would have to make below minimum wage from tips for the majority of the week to get compensation up to minimum wage. If that does happen, you will be looked at as an underperforming employee. The workplace is often clean and does a good job at maintaining food safety. Standards are upheld and checked thoroughly. While it is respected, my previous job was not clean at all or upholding standards. 

I was responsible for a variety of duties at my full-time position at IHOP including hosting, deep cleaning, washing dishes, and preparing food. I additionally unloaded food from the trucks each Monday. I started as a host and slowly accumulated more responsibilities while I was there over a year. A polite, cordial attitude is imperative at all times. There is nothing more the customers and management likes to see than a big grin on an employee's face. The biggest lesson I learned was that the customer is always right. I also became proficient in multitasking and time management. After I was trained to cook menu items, I was promised a raise but did not receive it. This is why I consider the management there to be unsatisfactory and ultimately left the company in pursuit of a better opportunity. Management was also not as involved with the employees as they should have been. My manager and owner seemed to be attempting to get the most labor out of me for the least pay they could reasonably give me. I have never been challenged harder at any workplace, including my current position. My supervisor expected a lot out of me. She was extremely enthusiastic, however she was quite demanding.  I was scheduled very long hours and frequently worked double shifts. Though I was considered an MVP at IHOP of Sanford, I feel my owner and lead manager had little concern for my well-being and comfort. I rarely called out, but was often forced to come in even if i was sick. I was overexerted, over scheduled, and denied days off even when I gave ample notice.  I was friendly with all of my colleagues, and we helped each other out whenever possible to set our team up for success.  The most difficult part of my job was likely cleaning the whole restaurant, as it was quite large. I had to fully sanitize restrooms, booths, and tables, keep the entrance of the store presentable, take out trash, clean the meeting room, and pressure wash by the dumpsters. I was responsible for answering the phone at the host stand. However, I was able to do a superior job with no issue. My favorite part of working at IHOP was learning to make the menu items. My colleagues were extremely helpful and gave me knowledge I can use in my future endeavors. While it was a challenge, particularly the omelettes, I had a great time perfecting the recipes. Another positive aspect to the job was that I received a discount on food. Overall I had a satisfactory second job with IHOP of Sanford.

As as a waiter you are expected to prepare, clean, deal with MULTIPLE families and potentially disgruntled customers with a smile for what could potentially be a 5 dollar tip or better yet none at all.At least that's what your TRAINED to do but in order to truly succeed in this job you will need have impeccable memorization skills, speed, ability to deal with rude and outright disrespectful customers AND co-workers, and in my case tyrannical managers who are constantly surveying you for any mistake made. And even then that might not be enough from burnt hands from holding seven different extremely hot plates in my hands at once to being cursed out, called an idiot , or other vulgarities from cooks, customers, and co-workers to staying hours after my shift is over unpaid to complete additional task assigned by my managers or forced to pick up the slack for others.You are truly on your own once training is done due to no one wanting to have to split their tips with a beginner and slowing down their own ability to interact with the customers to maximize the chance at a good tip.The managers not only promote but also enforce this hostile work environment and although coordination with co-workers is important you work strictly separate from each other from what I was told was a "worry about yourself" workplace little is done to promote cooperation thus tensions run high between co-workers and issues an feuds are bare and unaddressed.That being said the one saving grace that made me return 5 days a week was the money  if you have completely iron skin and the ability to tolerate alot of problems being thrown your way at the end of the day you can come back making slightly above minimum wage.Although this is highly dependent on store location, days worked, customer base, etc. and should never be as a source of stable income. Some days I would finish a day of work with a smile on my face and a wad of cash others I would finish a back-breaking day of work having to OWE the store money.At the end of the day working as a waiter the biggest factor is going to be feeling out the work environment taking my story as an example of the utter atrocity a bad one can be.I would only recommend this job for people with existing financial security who want to work for some pocket money but know what you can tolerate an what you can handle because this job will test you.

I'm a college student. I decided to get a job between semesters, and my brother already worked at an IHOP, so I got a job with him. I am a part time COMBO worker. This means I wash dishes, put away silverware, replace cups, buss tables, clean bathrooms and floors, a long with maintain the amount of dishes for cooks and the ice for the servers. My pay is $8/hour. I'm only supposed to work the weekends and holidays, but I asked for a few more days since it's the break between semsters. From that point, I worked wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and sundays. My brother and I would ride together to work, but I would be scheduled for 6:15 while he didn't need to be there until 9. Also, I would have to drive 35 minutes, because I live out of town, in the dark trying not to hit animals, since I'm from the country, when there is plenty of people who live only 5 minutes away that could take that early of a shift. My manager knows the driving and housing situation. Another thing is that while working, almost half of the other COMBO workers just laze around not doing anything. They constantly take smoke breaks leaving me to do all of the work. Because of this, I never get a break, and can hardly ever  find the time to get a drink of water in the 7, almost 8, hours that I'm there. Another thing is that the servers are supposed to pre-buss their tables, meaning they take the dishes to the back leaving any cups and wiping the table to us, but only one or two actually do that. It's one thing when your section is full, but when you only have one table I'm sure it wont be that hard to take five plates to the back. Also, I've been scheduled for the same amount of time now as my brother, who is a full-time employee, while the head of the COMBOs only works three days compared to my six. I have to work Christmas day for a twelve hour shift, meaning I can't go and visit my mom whom I haven't seen in over a year. To top it all off, I'm only 17. College is stressful enough, but trying to deal with everyone's proplems while getting stuff done is just making it worse. I've been progressively getting less and less sleep as the days continue on. It doesn't help that my schedule isnt sticking to a certain time, but instead jumping from 6:15 to 7:45 then back to 6:40 then the next day being 8 then on the day after at 9.

Let me start by saying that this particular location is a hit or miss on the Richter scale. If you have low self esteem and like taking orders from a tyrant you'll love this place. There is no teamwork unless you brush up on your people skills and keep your head low. Once you're comfortable enough to deal with the verbal abuse from your boss and the unwanted sexual attention from the cooks he employs, you should be good to go. And don't worry about being ignored by the manager, he treats everyone the same (poorly) with the exception of a few team members who he knows outside of work personally or has bummed a cigarette off of once or twenty times. As for food, yes you eat for free, but forget about it on a weekend (Sundays/Saturdays) they'll never forget to remind you to clock out and leave, but Heaven forbid you're starving in a restaurant that's supposed to feed you after a long and stressful shift. You must work well under pressure and stress. Big parties from 10 to 20 must be handled whether you're ready or not. And as for supplies, there's always a shortage of something so you must be creative in your endeavors. Try to remember to breath and if you smoke, try not to need a break during the most stressful hours.(no breaks allowed during a rush) I feel this place would thrive if management cared more about the people it employs and less about warm bodies in seats who will ultimately always find something to complain about and try to receive a free meal or two. And if you're someone who enjoys arguing with your team, cooks, or management while trying to manage all of this then you may move up the totem a lot faster. If you have a life outside of work  or even a pet fish at home this place is not for you, so spare yourself the application process, because once they know you have open availability for a place that never closes YOU BELONG TO THEM! 
To survive this place you must show up ready to run, try not to sweat , ignore just about every terrible thing you hear that isn't directed towards you, keep your head low, roll silver, manage your stress, be creative with your tables, stay clean, bus your tables, answer phones when they ring, run food by balancing plates, take care of your guests and MAKE ALL OF THIS LOOK EASY.

Working at IHOP has been a delight these past two years. I have made so many friends and have learned so much about what it means to be a part of a team.
 
A typical day at IHOP generally starts a little slow with few customers in the early morning. Servers will clean and prepare their areas for the breakfast rush fast-approaching. Once everyone has arrived around 9AM, the restaurant tends to get busy, and typically servers and hosts alike will greet and seat customers as quickly as possible. Generally, one server has at least four tables to attend, however we are all responsible for making sure all guest's needs are met, so servers stationed next to one another tend to check in on each other's customers. Typically, the rush lasts for about three hours, all the while servers are helping each other, as well as the hosts and even the DMOs. The entirety of the staff is woven together with each member playing multiple roles at a time in a cohesive and integrated manner.

Because the staff is so tightly intertwined, it is nearly impossible not to get to know and love those with whom I work. My coworkers have become my greatest friends and allies in the best of times and the toughest of situations. We work to help one another in everything that we do, in order to keep the wheels running smoothly.

Because we are all so close, the hardest part of the job always seems to be the addition of a new employee. We are always welcoming, of course, but finding a niche for any newcomer is always a bit difficult, as we run a tight ship and try not to leave any holes. Of course, we always do find a way to mesh with our newest members and incorporate them into our IHOP family.

At the same time, this is the most enjoyable part of the job. Once the difficulty of incorporating a new member is overcome, the addition is always a rewarding experience. My coworkers and I take great pride in our friendliness and our ability to work as a highly functional team, so being flexible enough to include others o matter the circumstance gives us all a feeling of great joy and accomplishment.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cook 806 salaries reported	$16.38 per hour
Host/hostess 633 salaries reported	$12.59 per hour
Server 426 salaries reported	$17.60 per hour
Dishwasher 390 salaries reported	$12.73 per hour
Restaurant manager 99 salaries reported	$53,904 per year

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