assistant manager

team member

cashier

general manager

shift leader

Chicken Salad Chick

Let's start with the good.

You get a free meal if you work a full shift (8+ hours), and I worked full time so I was able to have free lunch almost every day. You will probably get bored of chicken salad, though, haha.

Some very nice managers have worked there and they were a joy to work with, and throughly trained me and helped me when I first got there.

 I learned something new quite often, whether it was teaching me how to clean better or how to treat all customers kindly, even the ones who were terribly rude to me at times. You will develop thick skin.

You will get plenty of exercise at this job as you will be standing your whole shift and running around delivering plates to tables. You will also lift heavy boxes at times (for FOH, specifically the soda syrups), my muscle mass greatly increased in my time working here. You will probably clock over 5k steps on a full-time shift.

Now, the bad is a lot greater then the good, just speaking from my experience. I would be writing forever if I tried to cover ever single negative experience, but all jobs have negative experiences on a somewhat daily basis, so I will go over the worst things. The work environment deteriorated over time in terms of:

How management handled issues-
When confronting new management with my concerns I had day to day there, I was basically brushed off and told to deal with it. For example, when my coworkers said and did extremely rude things to me, nothing was done. They were just allowed to stay that way and it was beginning to have a negative impact on my happiness at work. 

Cutting hours- 
Right before I resigned, mgmt started messing with EVERYONE'S schedules. I had the same few different shifts every week for months as I requested,  because that fit into my schedule. They started doing random hours and ones that I could not do, and when told about it they did nothing about changing it. All of which included cutting down my hours because some new people were hired and "we have a hour limit and we can only give SO many now". I was the only full time worker there and for my schedule to be messed with when I needed those hours was greatly disappointing. (Not only did they cut hours, but as the only fulltime worker I didn't even have insurance benefits.)

Coworkers became incredibly rude- 
Not gonna go into extreme detail, but when I first got there most everyone I worked with was very kind. In the few months before I left it got worse and worse, employees were allowed to be absolutely terrible to me and nothing was done about itbwhen reported.

Being consistently understaffed-
 which laid a heavy burden on me due to me being the only one up front for hours every day, and one person cannot run and clean and entire restaurant up front. Managers expected the store to be cleaned at all times which was not possible. I had to do EVERYTHING.
And even when I had someone help me close, which usually 2 people closed, they gave us a massive list of cleaning to do which would take about 4 or 5 people necessary to complete it before 8:30pm.

To sum it up, I just want to let everyone know before they apply just how the situation is there. This is a 100% open and honest review. I hope this helps.

Honestly it wasn’t a horrible job. The main problem was that nothing was organized or put into place and it seemed very unprofessional the way they did things even though there were at least 3 or more managers. I was promised 40 hours from the moment I did my interview, but once the first week arrived everyone was making little to nothing on hours because they hired too many people. Yet they promised everyone the hours they wanted. It was frustrating because at first I loved the job and thought it would really help me. Thought it was a new opportunity to excel at and make really good money. I disliked the and had no idea the shifts were going to be 4/6 hours at most. At only making 11 or so (depending on your position) dollars with not as many hours if not barely half of the amount of hours I wanted, it was nerve racking to see that they played everyone into to thinking they would all receive the hours they’d promised. They allowed some people of their choice to work doubles which basically was like working the entire day with one hour break. In order to even be allowed to work a double they played favorites which is what they did with a lot of peoples hours within each week as well. They fluctuated your hours depending on sales and their sales were not going well from the beginning, which resulted in hours that were being given being lessened even more than before. They ended up having to fire a lot of people and lots of people left due to not having enough hours to give anyone. It was an easy job but the management was sloppy and careless to how they affected the crew or what was going on in the crew. There was always unnecessary chatter that everyone would do including the management about everyone and it was just overall a messy experience. After a while I didn’t enjoy being there at all and it seemed that they weren’t everything they were cut out to be. After leaving due to being at the hospital and just not wanting to come back I heard that they were going to fire me just because I was at the hospital. I was very furious and it was just overall horrible for the beginning of a business to be so all over the place. It wasn’t worth applying to.

Working at Chicken Salad Chick under the Osborns' management has presented numerous challenges that I believe are important to share. 

Firstly, the expectations placed on employees can be overwhelming. The Osborns seem to require a 1000% commitment from staff, yet fail to demonstrate the same level of engagement themselves. This disparity can create a frustrating atmosphere, as it often feels like the responsibilities continue to pile up without adequate support or acknowledgment.

Additionally, the work-life balance is virtually non-existent. Employees are often expected to work long hours—7 days a week, from sunrise to well past midnight—making it difficult to maintain personal commitments or relaxation time. This dedication does not translate into proper remuneration; the compensation is significantly below industry standards, particularly considering the demanding work schedule.

Another significant issue is the lack of appreciation for the staff's efforts. Recognition often seems to be absent, with the focus predominantly on what employees can do to enhance the business at the expense of their well-being. It's worth mentioning that the turnover rate for General Managers is notably high, likely due to the unrealistic expectations and the low salary relative to the hours worked, which can exceed 90 hours a week.

Even with the store being closed on Sundays, General Managers are still expected to be present, further adding to the imbalance in work expectations. Under the current leadership of Lisa and Bryan Osborn, the disconnect between work demands and fair compensation has led to a challenging and, at times, demoralizing work environment.

In summary, while there are aspects of the job that can be rewarding, the overall structure and management style need significant improvement to foster a more supportive and balanced workplace.

New management came in after a couple months of me working there. It was fine at first but right up at the end it was clear they didn't want to be there anymore.

The bad:
- They let the place go downhill a lot. 
- They hire people that don't want to work and have horrendous attitudes and don't do anything about it. 
- They let the restaurant get very dirty and let jobs go without being done so it ends up falling on one person then they get mad at you for doing it. 
-They started to understaff us because "our labor hours were too high" placing two people up front and management wasn't super inclined to help.
- Management also relies on their employees to train new hires rather then doing it themselves, so I had to train numerous people myself and this caused issues. 
- They won't do anything about the bad employees, but will fire a good one in a heartbeat.
- Coworkers would talk bad about others all the time.
- Up until the end you were not allowed a break unless you worked a double.
- Management was too scared to do anything about any real problems.
- Management very clearly played their favorites.
- Once they changed management they eliminated raises.
- Most people hired after me were making more than me and I didn't get a pay raise.
- Didn't have genuine appreciation for their good employees.

The good:
- Some of my coworkers were absolutely amazing and I'm so upset about leaving. - I had one amazing manager that always had my back in anything.
- Our regulars were amazing and I loved getting to talk with them.
- The fifty percent off discount was decent given how expensive the meals are.

All in all, the cons definitely outweigh the good here. I don't know how I dealt with it honestly, unless they change management sometime soon I wouldn't recommend working here.

What is the best part of working at the company?
This company has great working hours and is a faith based company which means NO SUNDAYS!!  Its relatively easy work, all the training you need to make the recipes is easily available.  

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
As a manager, the company takes full advantage of you by overworking you.  You don't get breaks because you are constantly busy prepping or serving.  I was offered a job at 35-40 hours a week and ended up working closer to 50-60 due to staff shortages.  We had a super hard time getting staffed because we could not find anyone that wanted to work for us because of the pay.  They are not competitive at all in their pay and so people have no loyalty to the brand.  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It can be extremely stressful.  We were always busy for lunch and often way to understaffed and not able to quickly and efficiently keep up with the orders.  Often times we weren't even set up for service because we didn't have enough time in the morning to prep everything necessary.  Customers don't care that you are out of something, and can be quite rude.  

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Work starts at 7:00 am where you prep all the chicken salad flavors, this includes mixing up anywhere from 200 pounds of chicken a day.  Then you have to chop all the ingredients for the side salads, prep the soup, prep the toppings like LTP and make tea and lemonade.  You also have to clean the front of the house and get the restaurant ready for service.  As a manager you have daily opening reports, run to the bank for deposits and inventory/ordering that also have to be done.  Closing requires tearing down of the kitchen and cleaning of the entire restaurant.

Working at Chicken Salad Chick was an experience. I definitely learned how to deal with the general public and some others. It did help me break out of my shell and learn how to communicate with people. However, I only worked there for a short period of time due to the management and coworkers. I was promised upon hiring that I would receive close to full time as possible, however I was only working 3-4 hours a day 5 days a week. And then suddenly without explanation, my days were cut to 3-4 days a week. Still 3-4 hours a day. No reason or warning as to why. I do appreciate the management being patient and understanding with me as I went through difficult times and had to leave work at a moment’s notice. But when talked to about doing something “wrong” in their eyes, I was talked down to. I couldn’t explain why I did something and was blamed by other coworkers for doing something. The shift managers think they run the place and can tell you what to do under any circumstances. You’re under their control. And if you don’t do it soon enough or right, they tell the management and you get talked to and feel beaten down. Coworkers are always talking bad about other coworkers and I know that happens at every job, but what was being said was unnecessary. You feel unwelcome then. You can’t enjoy working there. I really hope the coworkers I mentioned and the shift managers are talked to, demoted or fired for their behavior. 
If my pay was more than minimum wage as most places around the city are offering 11-15 for minimum wage, my hours weren’t taken from me, and coworkers were held responsible, I would’ve stayed. Unfortunate. 

I have been working for this job for about 7 or 8 months. We first started out with bad management- people who would talk about the workers behind their backs, wouldn’t start new employers off with any training and would just throw them in the job without any clue of what they’re doing and blame the staff. 
They ended up being replaced and at first I enjoyed the new management, but as time went on a lot of things started coming to light. We often run out of items due to the inventory not being taken right by the managers, I’ve heard a lot of horrible things said about the workers from the managers mouths as well.
I was lied to by my general manager about a raise because he only gives higher pay to his “favorite” workers and not necessarily the workers who deserve the raise. 
I have been stuck at the same pay as I was at at the start of my employment, and was actually lied to about my pay rate at the start of my work. It is no where near a livable wage. I barely get enough to pay for bills with what I earn in 40 hour weeks. 
They’re understaffed and will expect me to do about 3 peoples jobs as others sit around getting payed more and getting to chill with the managers and talk. (Favoritism)
A LOT of the things I have heard management say about the workers are HORRIBLE things, and I wouldn’t want to repeat some of it here. If you call out for an emergency they will talk about you for it even if you can’t help it.
I was denied a day off due to my best friends passing that I was very obviously distraught over, while they let someone else call out last minute because their stomach hurt a little.
Please don’t do this to yourself. It’s not worth it at all.

I worked for this company for 2 1/2 years. When I first started I enjoyed the job very much. The job itself was pretty easy to learn and you get a free meal every shift. I learned the front of house, sandwich line, and prep positions. Cashier would be the most ideal to work since you would not be involved with as much of the work drama. When I worked in the back I noticed how much everyone would gossip and start unprofessional drama. When I got offered to work prep I agreed since it would be another position to work and therefore I could cover more shifts. However this was a huge mistake. The prep system is very disorganized. When you work prep you are supposed to come in at 7:30 am and there is no specific out time, everyone just leaves when everything is done. This works for some people but it was very stressful for me. I would tell my managers in writing about times I would need to leave early and I would still receive rude comments. Since I was a part time employee I would want to take a break and leave at 4:00 but got judged for doing either of those things. Towards the end of my employment, everyone that knew prep was tired of being treated this way and quit. The only people that knew this position were incompetent people that would come in an hour late and only work for 3 hours. Also, when I asked for a raise I would be promised for one and they would not follow up. When they agreed to give me a .75 cent raise, it took them two months to put this into effect. I would not work for this company unless you are desperate for a job. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Free meal. They think everyone wants to replace their main income with this job. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Terrible communication. The manager that handled scheduling well was gone & the store is going downhill. They knew I went in for a side job for days off & I would let them know of my availability weekly. The manager who moved on to better work told me to let him know if hours were overwhelming when I was working my FT night shift job. The week I have to have a medical procedure, they told me they want more availability from me & it isn’t going to work. They’re keeping people that have no clue what they’re doing. They mix foods with nuts & spicy flavors. They are messing up everyone’s schedule & no one likes working with the new girls who are in the way & insecure. If you know what you’re doing, they don’t want you. You can tell them upfront everything & they’ll turn it around on you. They blocked me when I tried to work it out & understand why. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Messy, unorganized, out of stock on foods, mixing allergens. They start out at 10-10.50/hour. No consistency in management presence. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Going to chaos. It was going fine until they threw in random new girls who thought they knew everything & never asked for help. The manager leaving is really taking the place downhill. No one is scheduled according to their availability any longer. They aren’t managing well. It’s busy but people hired in need to be willing to learn.

This job is a really nice job for beginners. I worked as a team member and it is a good starter since it was my first job. Only downfall is that I could be working 4 hours- 7 hours and I never received a break or a lunch break. Management said that if I wanted to eat, to let them know and that you can eat real fast and then go back to work but you never get an official lunch break. Personally working with all the food and I guess running around, I was not really hungry anyways. Another downfall is that when I was hired, I was working 6-7 hours that whole week and then they started giving me less. Some might say that's a blessing but when you need to make ends meet, it does not stretch that far. For people looking into this job; you get paid $8 dollars an hour (or at least where I was), you get paid every two weeks on Friday, you receive 50% off meals, and the uniform (for where I was) is black slacks, a black belt, their shirt, slip resistant shoes, and if you have long hair it must be in a ponytail as a cashier/team member. As a team member (in the morning) you will make tea, cut lemons, open patio (if you have it), check napkins, wipe down tables, take orders, run food, and assist customers. Where I used to work, you do not receive tips. If someone is kind enough to leave you a tip, they want you to put it in a tip jar but tbh you earned it and I used to pocket it. I hope this helps anyone interested in this job, I personally enjoyed it. Please keep in mind some information pertains to where I used to work and it may not apply in your circumstance.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Assistant manager 57 salaries reported	$17.49 per hour
Team member 167 salaries reported	$12.57 per hour
Cashier 133 salaries reported	$12.22 per hour
General manager 74 salaries reported	$56,186 per year
Shift leader 144 salaries reported	$15.12 per hour

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