assistant restaurant manager

assistant manager

actor

senior assistant manager

kitchen team member

Chuck E. Cheese

I have been working here since late June of 2021, and I will just start off saying that this is my first job, and so far, it's just like anything else, it has its ups and downs. And some brief context before I begin, I work at Kid Check (basically the attendant that makes sure that people are admitted in with a stamp and also makes sure that families leave with each other), and a Character Performer (simple as it sounds, you wake up Chuck E and whenever you are needed to bring him out, you bring him out). Here are some important things to look out for: 
* Weekends, you either love them or hate them. Weekends are unsurprisingly the most busiest of the entire week (and the only days I chose to work because of college, except when I worked Fri, Sat, and Sun during the summer). Saturdays are absolutely the worst, people just keep coming and coming, whether it'd be in or out (most painfully at the same time), and it can be difficult to balance between people to ensure every guest leaves happy. It can be really stressful to be able to account for everyone, especially since there are people that think they are special and can just up-and-leave before being checked out, I luckily stop most people in time, unfortunately while I am checking other people in (rope-jumping for instance since we have red ropes that have 'bleh' magnets for the newer Kid Check stand and also they tend to literally just unclip the rope from either the border piece or the magnet). And the line-holding, because there can only be so many cashiers at once, the lines can be slow or can be fast, it really just depends on how long orders take and how many cashiers there are, also that the place reaches LITERAL FULL-CAPACITY at some points, so in consequence, I have to hold lines for as long as I am told to, but do expect impatient people, people who pressure you even though you are just doing your job. Sundays are somewhat better though, but for some odd reason, the place tends to pick up around late 3-early 4 PM.
* Guests are a hit-or-miss, they either are genuinely pleasant or some of the most unpleasant people you will meet in retail/food service. People are either patient and understanding if you tell them something (like I have to hold the line, wear masks, etc.), or absolutely impatient and the such when you have to tell them something. I understand, they just want to come in, but I can't help what I am told to do. And also the dang masks, it is a pain to have to tell people to wear masks even though we have been doing this for nearly 2 or so years, it should take some sense to realize that some locations do require masks (especially depending on state requirements) and guests should do their part to wear masks instead of making a big fuss, guilt-tripping, etc. Thank goodness that masks will be hopefully optional starting Feb. 28th in IL.
* Management, for as long as I have worked there, they have, believe it or not, been genuinely nice to me, they are understanding and flexible. Sometimes though, you do have to ask for a break since somedays, breaks aren't even offered. And also be careful, sometimes your hours are involuntarily cut, so if anything like that happens, talk to them and see what can be done. I believe hour cuts have happened recently because of a lack of income or something of the sort, so just be watchful of your hours. And sometimes, walkies are passed out and other times, they aren't even passed out at all, so on days they are passed out, ease of communication increases ten-fold, and on days they aren't passed out, communication is difficult, near impossible if no one is available.
* Advancements seem to not really exist, and the only 'advancement' they offer is Team 2, but I genuinely don't remember how that works.
* Waking up Chuck E. can either be fun or genuinely difficult. If you are genuinely enthusiastic and not just being forced to do it, it can be really fun to wake him up. In order to be a character, you gotta BE the character, so pay close attention to the training for him (and obviously for everything else as well). The birthday shows are absolutely fun to do, as they aren't too complicated and if you are having fun while doing it, the kids will have fun too. The most difficult parts though are kids interfering with the show (in other words, being too close, trying to hug you while you're doing your thing, so on) and the kids that try to drag you around while you make your rare rounds (the reason I say RARE is because at one point, Chuck E. could come out every hour on the thirty for a brief walkaround since we don't do the live show, but when I started and even now, he's just reduced to having birthday party appearances and he only does walkarounds now when given explicit permission). Again, he can either be really fun to perform as or he can be difficult to wake up, it just depends on how you see the job.
* Benefits that I have received are mainly free drinks (you can refill whenever you're able to, whether it's after a bathroom trip, on the way to do a birthday show, so on), a 50% discount on food (once in a blue moon, the food turns out to be free), the breaks I do end up getting, and you occasionally get pins if you do a good job.
* Coworkers are also a hit-or-miss, they can either become good acquaintances, decent friends, or just people you talk to once in a while. That's at least what I have encountered but I mainly see everyone get along.
* Once in a while, you have to do smaller jobs, but you have to manage your time well while doing so, so whether it'd be assembling birthday cups or serving delicious Dippin' Dots to guests, you just generally end up with smaller tasks once in a while.

Well, that's the end of my tangent, whether this helps your decision or not, at least hopefully I have helped in someway or another.

What was learned -

Chuck E Cheese has a fun atmosphere, however, the ability to advance in your geo location is extremely limited. Due to company wide labor enhancements which drive a lean mentality. Managers are often forced to work out of position to fill lower positions in able to make labor guide. (I know, same song and dance throughout the entire business world) Due to extreme upper executive change in recent years, and disconnect, all senior level managers that helped to create a longstanding, dominant focused brand were released, leaving a vacuum of "yes men" and stifling the creativity and direction this great company has had in years past. 

Dress Code-
No facial hair except a very trim mustache. No visible tattoos. Dress code is unidentifiable for cast (used to be logo shirts paid for by the company, now they can purchase their own polo style shirt), khaki pants or shorts and nonskid shoes. Managers wear logo polo's or dress shirts tie optional, dress slacks and nonskid dress shoes. 

Compensation - 
All managers qualify for vacation, 401K, and health benefits, however you will pay through the nose for your coverage. For a company that is profit driven you would expect full health coverage, however what is provided is comparable to what you would get from any off the wall insurance provider. Example.. Worker and Spouse will run you over $500 a month, and if you have preexisting conditions, you will be limited for up to 18-24 months before coverage will be effective for you and your "problem" (your looking at a $9-12K investment before they cover you? Was denied and dropped that the following year. Tied in for a full annual cycle). Dental and eye have very low benefits and caps,as well as the full coverage insurance has many caps and proviso's.

Full time employee's (we have them at the two corporate locations, very limited at store locations) - also qualify for the same compensation.   

A typical Day - 
The typical day is regimented on a schedule, with given respected duties in a controlled atmosphere. Guest expectation is driven by all cast members, and suggestive selling is highly preferred. "Every guest leaves happy, and see's Chuck E" is propounded to each guest on their way out. This is fine if you are a cast member that likes low pay and limited hours. As a manager, you are expected to save labor where possible and still run an effective shift. So, be prepared to get your hands dirty, everyday.

Management-
Management is the backbone of this company. A lot of them work tirelessly to maintain efficient and effective stores for a company that rewards them very little. General Managers qualify for monthly bonuses based on a given positive profit percentage and store's p&l efficiency. Assistants make hourly wages with no bonus incentives. This leaves many assistants with a less than positive attitude to drive sales, saving labor, and acting more like babysitters to teenagers and adults that use this as a 2nd or 3rd job because of lean hours. ( Managers throughout the world--- I applaud the majority of you whom have worked tirelessly to achieve that position. You have committed countless hours to improving your position on hard work, dedication and elbow grease. Is it really fair that you should continue that work along with the added responsibility of being a manager as well. Your supposed to be hired to lead, manage, and make sure the job gets done....food for thought)...

Mid-Level Management tend to be very positive, encouraging, and are all extremely helpful in all aspects of the business. The majority are all great examples of Management and yes, they are good "Yes" men and women. Its hard to ask Why? when you need the job to support your family.

Senior-Executive - Since I still work here, lets continue with the disconnect.

**note** OPINION - 
Not to tout the fine example that an education represents. People that are in positions of extreme responsibility should have a significant education background to be able to develop, create, and apply policies and procedures that are fully vetted through a project development methodology. People that have advanced through time, and talent are great workers, and develop into great managers, however they often lack the ability to make the cognitive decision making that higher learning demands for success.

Your Co-Workers- Most are teenagers, young adults, and a few old salty's that were to desperate to say no. All are different from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Do not be afraid to smile and exclaim "How y'all doing"! They can be fun, snotty, temperamental, hormonal, loving and kind just like any where else you work. Although, CEC does not tolerate sexual harassment nor a hostile work environment. 

The Hardest part of the job - the parents. Its amazing how adults forget how to have fun, and are too serious about everything. A token or a ticket is not the end of the world. Don't just sit there and expect everyone to watch your kid. Be involved, have some fun, and share some memories that may last a life time.

The Most enjoyable part of the job - 
Seeing the smile and excitement that most children have entering the building as the anticipation of coming has become to much to endure. Then, leaving after a few hours of video and game interactive overload, prizes won, lots of soda pop, cotton candy, and some pizza.

When I first started, being a gameroom attendant was fun and seemed exciting because you have to rotate through a lot of different tasks which keeps it interesting. (filling tickets, fixing games, cleaning floors, bussing tables, sometimes helping with merch or kid check, doing some of the chuck e live shows at the front of the store every hour, and helping guests if they have an issue with a game) 
also if you are good at doing the wake up shows you get to be chuck e for kids birthdays and learn the birthday show, which is actually really fun and really the only time you get to work with the party servers during the workday. 
However,  when everything isn't going smoothly, going through a normal workday is a nightmare, and the work atmosphere of management vs cast members is horrible. If you're the only gameroom attendant it's s your job to do all of those rotating tasks, and people act like its your fault if some of them arent perfect when really you're only getting minimum wage to do 5 different jobs. 
The good cast members pretty much all don't want to stay at chuck e cheese, because it's just not worth it. Upper Management is so bad, they keep people that don't do their job and break company policy whenever they want just because they don't want to bother to replace people. This harbors a lot of childish and unprofessional managers that are unhelpful at best, and keeps people that are, at worst, scary to be around in the work environment. Sometimes they can't even help you in the gameroom because they don't even know how to do your job, which I feel is unfair. Even if there are major issues going on at the workplace, calling HR or otherwise trying to get something done about it will change NOTHING and people will talk about you behind your back for "causing drama."  It is very cliquey and immature and there is plenty of favoritism. As long as no one is stealing, upper management has no problem with whatever is going on. 
 If you're a gameroom attendant and are lucky enough to get scheduled with another gameroom attendant on the same shift, be prepared to get yelled at if things aren't done even if they don't help do anything, because at chucky cheese they hire a lot of privileged high school kids that dont need to pay rent and will just wander around on their phone for most of the time they work with you, and they'll usually never get in trouble because the managers and the company NEVER care unless it's making them directly lose money. You get three write ups before termination so even if this person is doing literally nothing and barely making it look like theyre working some of the time, they won't ever get written up or in trouble at all unless they give people free stuff or something major like that. Another thing is that almost nobody gets trained. Everything i learned about how to do my job was from asking questions and figuring things out myself because my "training"  was following one girl around for two hours on her last day of working there and then being released into the gameroom after watching a few tacky training videos from corporate. Management always talks about keeping things to standard but cast members are never given the time or the tools to do so, especially gameroom, so everyone just lies about it or does whatever takes the least time and looks okay. Broken things like dusters or vacuum cleaners, or old games never get fixed or replaced because corporate says it's "not in the budget" even though their budget goes by making 99% profit off the store and only taking out enough money to pay the workers. All in all when its not busy and your managers are in a good mood its an okay place to work, but it gets depressing when you realize nothing gets dealt with because all corporate cares about is the profit and even if you do a good job, it doesn't matter at the end of the day. It makes you feel extremely unappreciated if you're one of the few people that actually tries to be good at your job. 
 The hardest part of being a gameroon attendant is closing, especially on weekends because its always really dirty and you have a lot of things to do, and even if it is past the time we are supposed to be closed, we aren't allowed to tell guests to leave, especially if they might buy more things so you just have to wait til they decide to get out so you can actually get done vacumming the floors and under tables and to wipe down games, flip trash cans, empty ticket munchers, etc. 

The most enjoyable part of this job has to be working with the kids. I wasnt even sure about it at first because i had never worked around kids before but even on days when everything is really bad, kids coming up to you to ask about chuck e or talking and dancing with chuck e during the live shows are usually the only thing that kinda makes it worth it.

I’ve been working at CEC since July of 2018. Application was surprisingly quick, and the interview + paperwork took about 3-4 weeks  before I could start working. I had high hopes since it was my first job, and I pulled through despite some of the difficulties I’d faced though I simply cannot take it anymore. I wish I had found another job instead of putting up with this mess. Pay is $7.50 starting though tips can make up for it (they’re yours to keep). though more than half the time I don’t get tipped (they’re not required like other places). When they began training me for showroom, my trainer slacked off (which she later admitted to not training me properly) so it was fun having to go off and learn a lot of things by myself. Many of the party hosts usually huddle in a group as we are assigned to “stand at our parties” but they’re usually on their phone which we aren’t allowed to do. I pull out my phone and I get dirty looks from my managers though they will be on their phones as well and no one can say anything. The general structure of the job is not hard once you get the hang of it, but I had trouble settling on a routine I could follow effectively, again because of poor training. Co workers are nice except Showroom. Basically if you’re not part of the circle, you don’t get special treatment, and that goes for everything. Privelages are given to those specific groups of individuals such as being promoted faster or making them free food. Management sucks because they’ve messed up/delayed orders to the point where Party parents get angry at their hostess (which is out of their reach) I’ve been promised to be promoted since October (which I’ve had to NAG them about starting my training for a while) but here I am in January hoping that by the end of the month, my actions have demonstrated leadership in my area. Many team 2 are either leaders and slack, or not good at all, which makes me question if I should even be working here. Also, if you fall sick, you must get someone to cover your shift or otherwise you’d be in trouble. Usually no one is good at answering their phones or considering working because they simply do no want to come in despite not working all week or complaining about not having hours. They’re always calling someone to cover a shift which should have been handled from before. Also they have scheduled me on parties without telling me, and do not give us notice when parties cancel, so sometimes I have arrived just for them to send me home. No one takes responsibilities for side duties such as dishes, managagement gets angry if they see you eating for a minute or two (aka no breaks!), and they cut your hours short or keep you for longer than intended (sometimes a half hour to an hour and half sometimes) Currently trying to find another job, but BEWARE!! It may seem nice at first, or a little rough but it is not a place I would see myself working at again. Not a management that cares about their employees as much as they believe they do.

I’ve been working at chucke cheese for almost 2 years, I put up with the job because its super hard to find work nowadays and I’m still in school and it is not far but not close and I’ve gotten used to my schedule, but the manangment treats you horribly there’s been several times my manager who is supposed to be a general manager has made me run around the store for help to find an assistant manager when they could’ve helped me but “there not in charge of that” but there the main manager making the most money?they also don’t let you have anything for free not even a pizza or a piece of candy nothing, when most companies have employee meals or higher discounts and they cut your hours like crazy or they’ll cut your hours last minute but will overwork you when there hours are booming. The manangment is the worst I’ve been working here for 2 years and the manager has yet to promote me or give me any kind of recognition instead the other day I was told if I didn’t sell five summer of fun passes I’d be written up !Wich is another thing if they get a random membership your forced to promote it when the managers or god knows whoever is making commission off of those sales not you but  they force you like crazy to upsell or sell those passes when there getting commission for it you won’t even see a penny .I also never asked or signed up to be a cashier in the first place and mind you in this two year span I’ve had every job from kid check , party host , chucke , cashier ,kitchen , trash , jumper attende , game room antendee , merch , salad stocker and ive never gotten any raise or even a badge on my lanyard and mind you I’ve seen over 20 plus employees leave including managers Wich has made me feel like this company is lazy and doesn’t care about employees .and don’t forget about instant attitude or a big war for requesting a few days off . I’m grateful for the experience though and this just shows I can get through any other job I choose to have in life but I don’t recommend this job for most people as well as this job comes with lots of snarky customers who if your a party host won’t even tip you or do your survey  and regular customers will complain to you about the prices like you made them

Seeing how it was my first job, it was a great learning experience. I got a touch of entertainment, food, and retail experience all in one. I worked as a party hostess for over a year. Hours and tips fluctuate throughout the year: less tips toward the holiday season and more hours during the summertime, obviously. Management was very, very poor. They were good about giving requested days off, but during those days off I was still getting calls to come in, to which I would always decline. Mostly high school students working, which made the environment fun (if you were also a hs student), but also drama-filled. I'm assuming the management was so rude because they were working around teenagers all of the time. Management will overwork you for your pay while they sit back. They take advantage of the fact that most of the staff is young and vulnerable. They always seem to be angry and annoyed, although they pretty much always will take your side during an altercation with a guest, which is nice. You will rarely get rewarded for your hard work, and it is difficult to get a raise. Chuck E. Cheese also needs to install credit card tips, so that their staff can receive proper tipping for hosting parties, because those parties are not easy to take care of. More often than not, the parties were rude and difficult to work with, and in the end would tip around $10, sometimes not at all. Occasionally you'd receive a nice tip, but most people don't carry around cash with them, which is the only way to tip. If you are applying to work as a cashier or gameroom attendant, the job is absolutely not worth it, especially if you are young. They pay the young workers much less than the older ones for doing the same job. It is absolutely ridiculous. If you are applying to work in the kitchen or as a party hostess, I'd say the job is somewhat decent, but just be prepared for what you are getting yourself into. Coworkers are messy and you will get in trouble a lot, even for other peoples' mistakes. They like to yell at everyone rather than singling out one person.

A Fun yet Challenging Experience: Working at Chuck E. Cheese's
I recently worked at Chuck E. Cheese's, and I must say it was an experience I'll never forget. On one hand, it was an incredibly fun job - who wouldn't love being surrounded by games, pizza, and excited kids all day?

However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Working at Chuck E. Cheese's can be draining, especially on busy days or during peak hours. The constant noise, chaos, and demanding customers can take a toll on your mental and physical energy.

One aspect that made the job more bearable was the tips - although they didn't come often, they were always appreciated. It's a shame that more customers didn't show their appreciation through gratuities, but when they did, it made a big difference.

The staff at Chuck E. Cheese's was, for the most part, amazing. We all worked together as a team, supporting each other through the chaos and mayhem. However, there were times when the stress and pressure got to some of us, and tensions ran high.

Then, of course, there were the "Karens" - those notoriously difficult customers who seemed to take pleasure in making our lives more challenging. Dealing with them was exhausting, especially during busy periods.

If you're considering a management role at Chuck E. Cheese's, let me offer some advice: you'll need the patience of a saint. Managing a team, handling customer complaints, and keeping the restaurant running smoothly is no easy feat. If you're not prepared to deal with the stress and pressure, it's not the job for you.

Despite the challenges, I'm incredibly grateful for my experience at Chuck E. Cheese's. It taught me valuable skills, such as teamwork, communication, and conflict resolution. I also made some amazing friends and memories that I'll cherish forever.

If you're looking for a fun and dynamic work environment that will challenge you and help you grow, Chuck E. Cheese's might be the perfect fit. Just be prepared for the chaos and remember to breathe!

I liked working here in the beginning very much, all of my co-workers were very nice to me. However, as I started working here longer, I noticed they started to treat me like some of the things I would say were unimportant, or as if I didn't matter as much as some of the higher positions. When I started working kid check more, I would greet my co-workers and ask how they were doing when they would walk in for work, and a few of them would either ignore me, or not be very friendly or sociable. I got sick of it after a while. The last straw for me was when I was telling one of them how I was feeling about that work day, and he made a very snarky comment. I was having a very stressful day, and that made my day even worse. Especially when I thought he was my friend. I was even about to send a resignation letter in, but decided in the end to not quit. He apologized when I started to tear up, and everything became okay between us. I'm just saying that the workers there don't have much respect, especially for me. The customers there don't either though as well. They are very rude when you greet them. I will ask how they are and how their day is going, and I'd say about 99% of the time, they will ignore me, wait to get stamped (impatiently) and then just walk off without saying thank you or anything. The managers are mostly great. There's not really much to enjoy about the job, but I still like to work there because there are (believe it or not) a couple co-workers that are very sweet to me, and make me feel welcome there. I also like working the cash register. Anything else though, makes the atmosphere not very fun. I do appreciate this job a lot. I learned a lot of new sets of skills that I never had before. The hardest part of the job would have to be the people. the positions aren't very hard to handle. Once you get the hang of it, they can be pretty easy.

At first i thought cool i get to be in a establishment where everyone one is happy and love working to make guests happy.......Totally wrong It's the worst place ever alot of work, no teamwork, every man for themselves; wage is ridiculous 8.25 an hr kitchen are the most disrespected and crew members who do their job properly are highly unappreciated. This place likes hiring firing and rehiring people (what a joke).They open at 11am and need you to be everything in one while they lack their own positions as well as trainning. Managers their are something some always on their phone or CEC phone having personal conversations hidding in the office or the kitchen when it's busy lacking to do opening checklist changing dot dates on food that was prepped over a week ago. I've seen a manager leave to pick their kid bring them back while the other one covered for her.Can't ask them for help they act too busy.Walkin full of mold mildew and etc.closers refusing to flip salad bar and filling with food that should've been thrown out.Too many people quitting not enough staff during the week to help balance things out. Staff members swearing to others over something that can easily be brought up in a simple conversation.They are well covered for evening and weekend crew (which keep in mind this place is only making money when kids are out of school). Adults who should be grown ups act like unprofessional teenagers. Management is bogus here. When interviewd your sold a happy dream than once hired your basicly put were they need you. If your working at a low volume store get out while you can only thing important is appearence and labor. I like to be honest so for those who've wrote a positive review im glad your store is awesome but not all of them are. I'm Glad i left best choice i could have made this place looks good on paper they give a good reference thats about it.

As a party server, I usually came 5-15 minutes before the birthday parties came in order to be prepared with them. I would check if all the party tables were set up and wait for them at the door. After escorting the party, I would go over the party order and get them started with the tokens for the games. Eventually, the food would be brought out and have the cake set up for the birthday party show. It can be very difficult because sometimes the parties want to order more food, when the party show is super close by. Most of the co-workers get really anxious at this time, because of how much is needed to prepare for the show. We usually help each other if one has a larger party than the other, struggling, etc. Then the party show begins. This part of the party was really fun because you got to dance with the birthday child and the other co-workers. Later on after cutting the cake, I would make myself useful and cleaned/bussed tables from my party table, and outside of the party room. Other side jobs I did were helping the cashiers, delivering food, checking the restrooms, etc. Then, 10 minutes before the party ended, the checks would be presented and got ready for the next round of parties. It is very easy once you get used to it, but it can be difficult with the parties you have to work with and how large they are. The managers and co-workers are really helpful when I need them and it makes the situation better. This job helped improve and learn communication skills with the managers, co-workers, and guests. Patience, listening, and multitasking was learned and improved over the time I worked over at Chuck E. Cheese.

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