service manager

kitchen team member

kitchen manager

server

general manager

Cinépolis

Typical day of work is clocking in doing nothing for 45 minutes and then responding to service calls which are usually nonstop because the theater doesn't have any system in place to control the flow of people, we used to have a ticket checker at the entrance before you find your screen and they got rid of it despite the fact that tickets still come with the qr code to scan them. You are expected to meet unrealistic standards when it comes to the amount of time that the service buttons and run the chance of getting verbally berated by management if you can't meet the unrealistic standards that they have for getting to service calls, some of the clientele is also not very nice and usually will hold you up from doing your job for various reasons (i.e digging through their bag so they can pay exact cash down to the last cent, requesting service despite not knowing what they want, requesting service repeatedly in a short time span, etc.) but some of them are also understanding and can probably tell we are being worked to the bone, sadly the bad apples usually will slow you down too much to meet the standards which is pretty much get to everyone under 2.5 minutes from when they press the button but management only cares about numbers and is not always understanding of how customers at this establishment operate. The management is horrible in how they schedule operating hours from week to week and just kisses up to corporate that of which is horribly out of touch with how businesses run in West Hartford, they put shows at 11:00 sometimes usually on weekends which don't get out until 1:30 AM at times and they will not sell many tickets and the people that do show up are the worst type of customers that either order a lot and don't tip or order little to nothing rendering being open that long and paying people to stay open pretty pointless, there are times where our kitchen is open past 12, no other restaurant in West Hartford center operates that late. Management also is just inconsistent in the way that they communicate with their employees(i.e. one will cut you by giving you a phone call and the other will send you a message on the scheduling app) and they are just all not on the same page and will screw up ordering simple things for kitchen and concessions. The schedule is released on Wednesdays for Friday to the next Thursday so making any weekend plans is next to impossible without taking the time off weeks in advance. The workplace culture can best be described as everyone hates working there and is miserable to be there also a lot of the staff particularly kitchen and runners are just either unqualified or aren't good workers and there ramifications for them doing their jobs wrong there is a high turnover and that is because a lot of people quit after a month, it is understaffed and a lot of the people are simply not qualified for the jobs that they have. We will run out of items in the middle of a rush nearly every day and its usually the same few items simply because whoever was in charge of the kitchen just "didn't have time to prep." The hardest part of the job is dealing with unruly guests who treat the service button like a soundboard. The most enjoyable part of the job is cashing out at the end of the night.

The workload is spread so thin among the employees that the low-percentage tips (which you split with your server team) is just not worth it. The average wait for food in the theaters is 20+ minutes on an average day. There is hardly any communication between server teams and the kitchen. And management does such a poor job of balancing guest satisfaction and employee satisfaction that both regular guests and employees stop coming after awhile. In fact, during my time here, I often had to go look for managers, who I usually found on the computer in the office during rushes. All of this is reflected in your tips at the end of the night. Further, given the setting and the team organization, you could easily earn all the tips for team members who ride on your hard work because you have to split your tips. 
There is little to no accountability: servers, concessions, and runners often don't show up for work, and are not punished until the very last straw. When write-ups are given out, they are for trivial matters such as uniform violations. 
It should be mentioned also that there are only six theaters built to accommodate servers; the rest are traditional theaters, and these theaters collect most of the ticket sales. With this in mind, daytime shifts are usually slow and unprofitable. On days when they aren't slow, there is often only one or two servers and no runners, meaning that servers struggle to accommodate guests. The distance between the expo line and the theaters certainly exacerbates this issue.
The only redeeming factor about this restaurant is the bar. The seasonal cocktails are nothing short of impressive, and much of your sales will likely be from bar sales. However, you have to tip out 7% of your bar sales (including bottle sales, which you open for and present to the guest). Further, if you aren't an attractive female, forget about getting promoted: all of the bartenders are attractive females, except the bar manager. I personally was passed up for promotion over a less qualified girl, who was shortly fired after she was promoted. 
Given all of the above, it should be clear to anyone that this restaurant really doesn't have anything valuable to offer servers for their hardwork. As such, quality of service is so far down that I'm surprised this place still has employees (let alone that it stays open at all).

A typical day at work - would depend on the position I was scheduled for, I like to learn each position as to make myself more useful and to grow and accumulate many skills.   Some days it would be peaceful customer interactions at the front desk where I got to inform our guests about all Cinepolis had to offer, movie times and even fun movie descriptions, I absolutely enjoyed doing this.    Some days I would be bustling from theater to theater making sure my team got the theaters cleaned thoroughly and quickly, the rush and attention to details was very enjoyable, this position was especially nice as if there wasn't much to clean I would be able to transition over to food running to help them with carrying and organizing the food.   Working every position in the theater was a huge highlight, I worked hard so that I had mastered each position.

I learned - how to stay focused and keep busy, while also having fun making sure the customers enjoyed their time, making it fun for my fellow workers and always striving to do my best!

Management - I really liked working under management and learning on what I could personally improve upon.

the hardest part of the job - had to be when it was slower, I had a hard time motivating my fellow workers to keep busy but this did make it easier to keep myself busy with restroom checks and deep cleaning.

The most enjoyable part was the challenge of working and pushing myself to do better, then seeing the results of my growth!  Also I really like making people smile, coworkers and customers alike!

Was hired here as a server in October 2023. They made me run food/bartend till march 2024, including having me run food on Christmas with management telling me they didn’t want to overwhelm me teaching me to be a server when it was so busy during the holidays. I had 4 years serving experience and if that was the case why hire me as a server then not let me serve for 6 months? Also bartending here is horrible. You pool all your tips together with the person who works the other shift of the day. you pool tips with someone you don’t even work with. Then the general manager always wants you helping concessions if you don’t have any drinks to make for the movies. Meaning you can’t help guests in the lobby and make money for yourself. Just get a 2% of sales tip out from the servers. Plus the levels of business vary so much based off what movies are out. Last shift I made 2 cocktails and this is a constant occurrence.  The other day the servers were joking about having a hunger games type scenario in the group chat because no one gets any hours. Then once November hits you can’t request a day off till January. This may be a good part time job for a college student or a good seasonal job during the busy periods but not a good job for someone who needs constant work. Management also constantly kept changing my schedule after it was posted less then 48 hrs before the shift without even telling me. If i didn’t check the scheduling app I wouldn’t have known and missed the shift


Working as a server at Cinepolis can be a mixed bag, but unfortunately, poor management can sour the experience. While the company offers a unique blend of cinema and dining, the disorganization behind the scenes often makes the job harder than it should be.

One of the biggest frustrations is the lack of clear communication between management and staff. Shift schedules are often poorly managed, with last-minute changes or overstaffing during slow shifts and understaffing during peak times. This leads to unnecessary stress for servers, especially when you're expected to handle multiple parties or large groups without enough help.

 Management seems more focused on meeting corporate demands than ensuring their team is equipped to provide the premium service Cinepolis markets to its customers.

Moreover, management often fails to step in during chaotic moments. If a theater is running behind or there’s a mix-up with orders, certain managers seem overstressed, disengaged, or unavailable. This leads to mistakes, long wait times for customers, and frustration for the servers who have to deal with the fallout.

Overall, the experience as a server at Cinepolis could be much better if the management focused more on supporting their team, improving communication, and providing better structure. As it stands, the poor management creates an unnecessarily stressful work environment that overshadows what could be an otherwise enjoyable job.

READ if you want to work here:
- As of Oct. 2021 they really need employees and are actively hiring. A good job for teenagers.
- You are paid CA minimum wage. If you are a SERVER you keep tips.
- You must be willing to work weekends and holidays (They are peak times).
- Fast paced work environment. The peak times can be quite overwhelming with lots of food to deliver. Especially if you are a SERVER taking orders and have to respond to button calls within 5 minutes. being a RUNNER is much easier since you don't have strict time guidelines.
- The job is a janitorial job. Not glamorous but it has to be done.
- Not much advancement as there is only server and bartender with not much advancement to become a manager or anything.
- Free KIDS meals ONLY. But you get 50% off other food items. I wish this was mentioned in the job description.
- Stay if you enjoy working with the people there. 90% of the employees are cool.
- You will learn much more by doing the job than the online training.
- Even managers and supervisors will run food, clean theaters like you. Not just lazily watch you.
- Personally it took about a month to "get in the groove" of all the duties of my job.
- The perks are cool! Watching movies for free with a few friends or your  family with free popcorn and soda, as well as a 50% discount on food.

There isn't a whole lot to say about my time working with Cinepolis, but that isn't a bad thing. I rarely had any problems with my managers, and all of my coworkers were friendly and welcoming toward newcomers. 
It was incredibly flexible so far as scheduling went, though it did seem we were notified of our hours relatively last minute on a frequent basis, often receiving them only a day before the work week actually began. That concern can be offset with the ability to trade and release shifts online among the other staff. If you know you have plans at least a month ahead, you could also request that time off.
It did seem like many of the shift leads had been working a long time, one of my friendlier coworkers had even been there for over a decade and was still holding the same title as me. I imagine there isn't a whole lot of room to move up the ladder in a movie theater, though, so that can be understood.
I have very little negative to say about the experience, and it was amazingly practical as my first job. I learned many skills which will help me find work in the future, and it was generally a fun environment to work in.

Hours are long during the weekend and on holidays. Hard work and innovative ideas are not appreciated or even considered. Staff is underpaid for the work that they are expected to do and for the hours that they put in. The management team has little to no training, which is a reflection on the company and not the managers themselves. Training materials are not provided (we had to make our own). A lot is asked of the managers, which is fine. But negativity is rampant and the work culture is terrible. The corporate office cares only about the bottom line, and they don't care how short staffed they have to make theaters to achieve it. I hope that one day this company realizes that the reason there is such a high turn over rate is because of the lack or organization and common knowledge that the corporate office provides. The best part of the job was the free movies and the 50% off food during your shift. The hardest part was having to explain to your guests why the stains on the carpets were still there a year later, or why the recliners were still broken.

It's honestly what one would expect of working at a test location of the only, or of two, hybrid locations in the U.S: chaotic, demanding, confusing for both guest and employees, and very rarely rewarding. Management and staff rotate regularly; very much moreso on cast members. 
Management is notorious to press gang prized / useful employees with many additional responsibilities with no thought of additional pay or mention of growth. Beware of lower tier management positions as well. You will essentially do the manager duties without the pay or greater benefits. 
Only managers and positions above get pto.
Otherwise, I appreciate my coworkers who stayed during the worst hours during marvel and the holidays. The rest of my time could of been better spent elsewhere.

At Cinepolis everyone is encouraging and friendly. I greatly improved my barista skills and customer service abilities. Being a high end movie theater meant there was a pushed importance for satisfied costumers and a clean work environment. Being able to be scheduled in different departments including food running, concessions, and cleaning I was able to improve my work ethic and abilities in many more ways than if I had one set list of tasks every shift. The management was a bit rough at some times as there were many different supervisors and managers all with different standards and ideas of what was necessary. It was difficult to plan my weeks and weekends as well as they release the work schedule on Thursday. Overall I learned a lot of new skills and tasks to bring into my next jobs as well as how to communicate and work with management to create the best work environment.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Service manager 11 salaries reported	$23.41 per hour
Kitchen team member 11 salaries reported	$17.97 per hour
Kitchen manager 12 salaries reported	$73,909 per year
Server 21 salaries reported	$18.26 per hour
General manager 9 salaries reported	$86,361 per year

Working at Cinépolis: Company Overview and Reviews

Cinépolis

Cinépolis Ratings

Popular jobs at Cinépolis

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected