line cook

host/cashier

server

dishwasher

cook

Black Bear Diner

A typical day at BBD would start at 6 am and was a near constant sprint for 8 hours until the end of the shift. As a well loved breakfast diner there was never a slow morning. 
I did learn much in regards to breakfast cooking. Many skills i learned there in the proper cooking of various breakfast meals was easily transferred into my everyday life. 
As far as management was concerned it was a strange system, in past experience the kitchen is run and answerable to a specified chef who has been extensively trained to be a chef, BBD was quite different. The entirety of the establishment was run under a fine microscope by the General Manager who expressed many times that his experience was predominantly business in nature. So he ran the kitchen like a business. As much as I loved the job, this unusual hierarchy made chain of command a little difficult. 
The Coworkers were a mix of ease and difficulty to get along with. Many of the other kitchen staff spoke little to no English, as many were of Hispanic descent. But when communication was possible they were always very helpful and eager to teach me new techniques and i was likewise eager to learn. 
The hardest part of the job would unequivocally be the intense pace from start to finish. There was never a free moment to catch my breath and often times I would be forced to take my lunch break right after I clocked in because there would not be any other opportunity during the 8 hour shift. 
The most enjoyable part of the job is split between the incredible flow of knowledge provided by my coworkers, and the immense pride from working at a restaurant that all of my friends and family know and love. even family in Idaho would communicate their love of the food at the establishment near them. Something about that just made my chest swell with pride.

I worked here at a location that had different franchise owners at the time, so my review will be based on what management used to be like. The title of Host(ess) is a title of many titles. You are the host(ess), busser, the cashier, the gift shop clerk and stocker, to-go expo, to-go ordering, and answering the phone. It can be a hectic job, especially when the servers don't help out by doing some of the bussing on their tables. It can be frustrating when a server decides to seat some customers as well. They often times won't move the section button, or will skip someone, and then get upset with you for not knowing they sat someone in their section and you sit someone in their section again. (SERVERS, THERE IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESS TO THIS, STAY OUT OF IT!) I did get to meet many people from different parts of the states, and sometimes from different parts of the world, too. The customers tend to be nice and understanding. This is a fast paced job. Management at the time was okay, maybe not the best, but it was okay. The franchise owner at the time was awesome and often times came in during the week to help out and talk to customers. He was what I would call a true leader- he would help pull the weight of the company instead of telling others what to do all the time while standing by. The hardest part of the job was switching between bussing, answering the phone, and seating people. Cashiering was okay. It's important to prioritize the different tasks you have, making sure that each one gets equal or fair enough time with the other tasks. You are the first face the customers see and the last face they see before leaving.

This job sounded promising during time of hire, but it wasn’t as great as it seemed. At first, I was scheduled 10 or less hours max per week, and I assumed it was because I was new; however, I worked more hours my first two weeks than I did anytime after that. I started getting one day weeks and the shift would only be four hours. Their labor cost was their main priority. There were servers receiving two-day weeks and bussers with two day weeks. Almost every worker, I talked to felt like they were not receiving enough hours. As I continued to work for the company, I started receiving three day weeks, but they still felt like short weeks. The shifts I was scheduled for were only 3 or four hours. The paychecks I received were not enough. About three weeks ago, I did not receive a schedule and I brought it to the general managers attention. She told me she sent it out and I told her I still did not receive anything, and she did not tell me anything. Two days later, I asked her about it again, and no reply. Two weeks later, I still have not received any word or schedules. I continued to ask, but they did not seem to care and did not reply. I was told I was not the only employee they were treating like this too. On another note, workers shared tips. It was a small percentage of the tips received and you received them based on the hours you worked, but it was only a small percentage so it’d be a small amount. You could also receive tips on to-go orders, but they introduced DoorDash so to-go orders would be rare. Overall, the work culture was inviting and the people were fun to work with. Unfortunately, due to the their obsession with low labor costs, unprofessional manner towards employees, and careless management team it would be hard for anyone to find a stable job here.

Unfortunately, my experience working at the Murrieta, CA location of Black Bear Diner was highly negative due to a toxic culture and unprofessional management. The workplace environment was unwelcoming, chaotic, and unfair. Managers exhibited rude behavior, including yelling at employees and refusing to allow sick individuals to go home, which created an inhumane atmosphere. Additionally, there was clear favoritism in the workplace, where certain employees were treated better based on their tenure or personal connections rather than merit.

The culture at Black Bear Diner fostered unkindness towards new hires, who were often marginalized and made to feel inferior simply because they were not considered 'OGs' or part of the inner circle. This treatment is especially disconcerting for new employees seeking to integrate into the team. 

Furthermore, the management displayed unprofessionalism and disorganization. Despite being hired for full-time employment, I was consistently scheduled for only three-hour shifts and was not provided with a consistent schedule. Management would contact me at random hours, disrupting my personal time, while other long-standing employees were given regular schedules. 

Additionally, my role as a host exceeded the responsibilities outlined in my job description, and I was initially hired as a server but placed in a host position with a different compensation structure than agreed upon.

Overall, based on my experience, I strongly advise against seeking employment at Black Bear Diner, particularly at the Murrieta, CA location.

I feel undervalued as a line cook at Black Bear Diner primarily due to inadequate compensation and poor communication from management. Despite a year of dedicated service, my pay doesn't reflect the effort and skill required for the job. Additionally, I've been frustrated by the lack of transparency and consistency in communication, often feeling like I'm getting the "run-around."

To feel better about my compensation and overall job satisfaction, I request a fair pay increase that aligns with industry standards and recognizes my commitment. This would demonstrate that my contributions are valued. 

Moreover, I'd appreciate more frequent performance evaluations and opportunities for growth. Constructive feedback and a clear path for advancement would motivate me to invest more in my role. Lastly, consistent and honest communication from management, along with a more transparent decision-making process, would help rebuild my trust in the organization.

In summary, to address my feeling of undervaluation, I'm requesting a fair pay increase, regular performance evaluations, growth opportunities, and transparent communication. These changes would not only benefit me but also create a more motivated and engaged team at Black Bear Diner.

Serving customers hot and delicious country dishes, among other items, is the way to continue to thrive in customer satisfaction. 
Encourage team player attitudes with all employees.
 Be prepared for washing lots of customer dishes and pots and pans constantly thru out your shift.
 Be skilled to do your job
 DO what you love - Organize & maintain cleanliness. 
DMO personnel may have the dirtiest job in the restaurant but you are the most important. 
Do you know why DMO's are important? 
Because You ensure the safety of guests and employees alike thru out your shift.
You are the backbone behind the scenes in the restaurant and I believe your attitude should be positive. 
One should always keep in mind-
-you must have clean dishes to serve great food...
 Must be able to daily meet health standards in the work environment so nobody gets sick or infection occurs. 
Must be fast and organized to keep up with the tasks, otherwise, you will not enjoy this job position. 
Stay focused and maintain organization and cleanliness thru out your shift so to that your job will flow better and not seem so overwhelming. 
Encourage positive attitudes and friendly smiles with everyone you contact to stay happy.
 Have fun and communicate with each other.

A typical day? 
Balls to the wall fulfillment of a high demand, high volume corporation with very little encouragement for the effort to maintain your emotional stature. 
What did I learn? 
If you can't learn 40+ recipes and combinations, multiple island-like stations plus the muscle memory required to effectively produce plates for customer orders in 2 weeks, you'll be ignored and made to feel as if you're worthless. 
It's their way of protecting their jobs from those who have the will but need time. 
It's disgusting. 
Management?? 
What management? You mean the over payed do-nothings who did aggregate math for stock replacement? The front of the house adepts who couldn't do the cooks jobs? Please... 
Hardest part of the job? 
Being allowed the time to gain the agility to perform at the level required to deliver for the 2nd highest grossing store for the entire corporation behind an abhorrently indifferent kitchen staff. 
The most enjoyable part of the job? 
Gaining the respect of your peers and watching yourself become apart of the orchestra rather than the porter for eggs and batter. 


The best thing about this job was the actual on the floor employees. They are all the sweetest people and are willing to help out. It is great if you are wanting a fast pace environment on the weekends and a more comfortable pace on weekdays. 
FOH gets tips and only reports credit card tips, pay is minimum wage.
The management however sucks. They undermine, contradict, and put down their employees. If you mess up, they will not help you learn to do better but rather reprimand you in front of your coworkers. If the general manager doesn't like you, even if you are a fantastic employee, you get a single 3 hour shift for that week. The business reeks of favoritism and trust me, you will know if you are not one of the chosen few. Asking any of management for help is greeted with eye rolls or being ignored completely. Some managers won't even give you YOUR tips for tables you had to transfer to them when they sent you home. 
When upper management (general manager, assistant manager, and floor manager) aren't there, it is a fantastic place to work. But if you aren't good at kissing up, don't expect much. It almost feels as though as all THREE of these managers have never once ran a restaurant.

The boss didnt like that I smoked cigarettes and had pulled me aside to ask if I was paid more if I would quit, but no one else could know about the raise. No more than two people could request the same day off, and I had a hard time using the PTO as he was nosey and wouldnt give it to me because I wasn't using it for "sick" time like he does. The dress code was TOO inforced, they checked how tight your pants were by doing a bend-over, a pick-up, a pull to the fabric (midthigh) to see if the material was the "correct" material, and they did a "rear-end" check to make sure our buttcheeks didnt look to "distracting to customers or our male co-worker's". Pay was minimum wage for myself, as they were strict about us not talking about what we made with ANYONE. If going to leave the company make sure that's really what you want to do as they do NOT rehire the good employees, only the lazy folks. Wouldnt return if I had to as they hire only close family and friends, very cliquey within the work space. I made the best out of the situation I was in but definitely had some major concerns about a lot of things, and the list goes on. Until you get to know the management and owners it's a different story, for everyone else's is a bit different too. 

Overall enjoy working here. However, management likes to pick favorites. Once you get on certain people's bad sides you might as well quit, or face retaliation from staff. Lots of gossip, but I think that's just a characteristic of the industry. You could probably make more money working somewhere else, where you don't have to wear the humiliating uniforms. Customers can be a little snotty and not tip great, but that's true anywhere. Most of the people that work here are kind, and encourage growth and learning. I truly learn a lot working here as you bus tables, do host/cashier work, and run food along with other serving responsibilities since they are severely understaffed. There is definitely favoritism in who gets the best shifts/sections. Food is okay, but often comes out cold or wrong as the kitchen is pretty unorganized, causing customers to get frustrated. Kitchen staff are a bit of "primadonnas". Pretty stressful. I hope they improve their management, as it will encourage more people to work there and less people to want to leave. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Line cook 22 salaries reported	$21.06 per hour
Host/cashier 30 salaries reported	$17.16 per hour
Server 27 salaries reported	$16.68 per hour
Dishwasher 25 salaries reported	$17.78 per hour
Cook 29 salaries reported	$19.39 per hour

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