sous chef

line cook

host/hostess

baker

floor manager

Eataly

I really enjoyed my time at Eataly. I found that Eataly, as a company, holds true to its promises - the mission statement, the ethics of the company, what they expect of the employees. I found that upper management was very hands-on in my department, always respectful, always wanting to help. Eataly is a place where, no matter your department, you can learn a lot. Eataly encourages feedback, and as a corporation really seems to want to make its employees lives easier and happier. We had occasional meetings within my department as well as full-store meetings, to take feedback and to prepare everybody for the months ahead.

I would definitely say that what department you're working in is a huge factor, as management and culture varies by department. Some managers are more competent than others. In addition to my own department, I had positive experiences with HR. Issues that were taken to HR were resolved quickly. All the people I worked with and were acquainted with at Eataly were helpful, respectful, and open-minded. Eataly is a company that promotes inclusivity, and they hire a lot of people from the LGBTQIA community. I didn't encounter any discrimination during my time there!

I would say the most enjoyable part of working there was learning about the products, and speaking with the customers. There were a lot of snobby, rude customers, certainly - but what makes Eataly unique is that it's truly an EXPERIENCE for the customer, and I encountered a lot of really bubbly, excited customers who were just happy to be there and having fun. So that felt really rewarding.

The management for my department was really great - accommodating, listened to feedback, not demanding, always wanting to help. I felt cared-for and listened-to by my managers. There wasn't a lot of drama in my department, and when there was, it was dealt with quickly. Eataly also encourages internal advancement with regard to its employees, so there are a lot of opportunities to advance into other departments, if you'd like. Eataly truly is a company that you can grow with!

I worked at Eataly for a number of years on the retail side. I enjoyed working with great products that I was passionate about. They definitely put the work into making the products you sell high quality. The benefits are pretty good. You are afforded the opportunity to learn as much as you want, in my experience. 

The bad part is the management at the store level. A lot of managers have no prior experience in people management or managing in America in regards to the Italians that come to to US. The turnover of management is basically revolving door level. You can work you way up pretty seamlessly if you are in the right situation. The HR department is hands off with management as they leave all discipline to a few stakeholders. This creates an environment where certain people can take advantage of the hourly workers and play favorites. This also translates to under hiring and nickel and diming when it comes to giving raises. Management work basically on call every day and any difference in expectation is frowned upon. So many burned out people. Also, management has too much HR responsibility. Too many managers have no business giving interviews and handling sensitive issues. There's practically zero people management training at this level.

I wouldn't say don't work here. Just be prepared to work more than you'd expect and pick up the slack for the management and the people around you if you want to succeed. Or if you really want to get a lesson in Italian cuisine and culture, this would be a good start. 

The place needs a top down reorganization at the store level for retail. They need to define roles, spread out management responsibilities and utilize HR. As they expand, their warts are just going to grow and grown and grow.

There were some genuinely good people at the store, and the Store Director was helpful and supportive during my time there, he wanted to fix things but the store had facilites issues and people leaving and going he seemed like he needed help. The head chef was supportive, intense, but understanding. However, my experience with the corporate side felt much more disorganized and chaotic, affecting my role in the company.  I think this was everyone's major complaint at all levels. There often seemed to be a lack of clear direction, with leadership changes happening frequently, which created uncertainty at the store level.

One of the challenges I personally observed was what felt like inconsistent standards among employees. At times, it seemed that some team members were treated differently from others, in particular the Italian employees. This created frustration and impacted morale. Overall, while there were positive individuals in the organization, the broader leadership structure and consistency in management made the experience difficult. There was constant change to a degree it was unhealthy. You could tell people were impulsively driven in their actions.  Also rules only applied to thee, I saw one of the big wigs from corp vaping on the floor, staring a little to long at certain employees, not good. 

Easy, simple work. Serving pastries, prepping to go food, heating up pizza or pasta, maybe making coffee if you are lucky. Paid at minimum wage + tips, can be pretty good pay if the economy is good and your coworkers are pulling their weight (even split tip pool between all QSR and shift leads). You will NEVER move up, maybe to shift lead, but the two managers will never allow it to be anything more than that.
I have a bachelors degree, I asked to have access to the internal corporate job board, and was denied. That was not cool. 
Speaking Italian is a serious benefit for your social life and interactions with the corporate staff and chefs (corporate is on site at this location). Speaking Spanish is also a serious benefit to your socialization. It is not a bad job if you need something simple, but it is pretty mind numbing sometimes. Slow weeks/seasons are brutal, but the tips were very good during holiday season ($25-27/hour take home as of Christmas 2024 season, non holiday was usually more like $20-22/hourly). You won't get 40 hour weeks unless you are willing to be on call, full time here is 32 hours per week. PAID PARKING is brutal at the century city mall. Find the street parking (at least a mile away), risk the daily tickets, or pay like $300 for monthly parking. That sucks too.
It is an ok job... Turn over is pretty high. There are a two people, one QSR and one shift lead who have hung in since opening (2017), but otherwise, everyone has been there 2 years at most. No raises except when minimum wage goes up.

When I first started working there, everything seemed ok. However the managers don’t really “train” anyone. They kind of just put you on the spot with little training. Was fun working with my colleagues, but the stress and unrealistic expectations made it hard to keep the best relationship with coworkers and caused me so much anxiety. I had suffered several anxiety attacks but I’d try to work through them. Because as a Lead, I had to show a “strong presence”. And when I’d talk to a manager, they’d make all these questions on the spot instead of trying to understand and talk things through with me in a calm, caring manner. Instead I just felt questioned and attacked, as if I wasn’t even human and didn’t have a right to feel my emotions. Coworkers just felt overwhelmed due to being understaffed and overworked. Multiple colleagues expressed their thoughts multiple times about also quitting. Corporate, HR and management just don’t seem to care about their employees. Multiple people reported employees to HR for inappropriate comments about customers and colleagues, but they completely dismissed it. Plus about 1/3 of the customers are just rude who would demand free stuff. The products are expensive, so if you can’t afford it or are just took stingy to spend your money, why even go there? Don’t waste your time trying to get a raise, flexibility on your schedule, and telling higher ups of any concerns because they won’t give it to you. All they seem to care about is profits and nothing more.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Everybody Works! Nobody is standing around being a paid bum, and when you ask for help, you get it!  Everyone is smiling, even when we hit a snag, and we fix it, and move on. Always someone to help, and it's fun to interact with the guests, many of whom are tourists, and I love to showcase Eataly and Chicago!

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
At the time I was there, I was more experienced in Sanitation and Procedures than some of my other co-workers, and the Sanitation person kept picking on me and telling me to clean up after those others. Sorry, NO. I was gratefully picked up by another department, which appreciated me.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Most people on schedule were actually working, and almost all were smiling. It's a very happy place to work when they allow you to do your job without micro-managing because they trust you to do what you are supposed to do!
I enjoyed my co-workers; everyone seemed to get along well. It's a happy place!

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Depending on the day of the week, I had assignments/products to fulfill. My days were packed, but easily accomplished, and I got to learn about how to sell the products I produced, but also those I packed. I.E.--I hate olives, but sold so many packages that we were always busy packing and pricing more to fill the counter.

Working as a restaurant manager at Eataly was both a rewarding and challenging experience. One of the highlights of my time there was being part of an incredible floor team—dedicated, hardworking, and genuinely passionate about hospitality. We fostered a strong sense of camaraderie that made even the busiest shifts enjoyable. The team consistently rose to the occasion, ensuring guests had memorable dining experiences, and I took pride in helping to lead such a committed group.

However, while the day-to-day operations on the floor were generally smooth, the same couldn’t always be said about upper management. There were frequent instances of disorganization and lack of clear communication from senior leadership. Expectations would often shift without notice, and important decisions were sometimes made without input from those most affected. This disconnect created moments of unnecessary stress and occasionally undermined the efforts we put in as a team.

Despite these challenges, I grew tremendously in my role—developing leadership skills, learning to adapt quickly, and staying focused under pressure. I’m grateful for the relationships I built and the experience I gained, but also hopeful that Eataly continues to improve its internal structure to better support its teams on the ground.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The chill, laid back vibe of the store. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Once you start showing and telling others(higher ups) that you are versatile/skilled in other tasks you become the go to employee for all avenues. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The beginning it was really fun completely different experience from just my other cashier jobs then it gradually became depressing. It's an ok place to work at if you don't mind the rich people who have nothing but money to waste at a glorified grocery store. I very quickly realized that mindset and lifestyle wasn't for me so I left when I could. During my time the management I had were lovely people after the big change and flip around of the store it quickly went downhill. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I was a majority of the week part of the morning cashiers crew so it was simple.... Get there, grab your money go to a register and start the day. Most of the time I was just waiting around for customers to show up. Other mornings I helped the Front End with orders or the TGTG stuff so it eventually became a routine that we all stuck to. I helped wherever I was needed with the knowledge and training I received.

The job would have been a better work place, if the Management staff was for 1. on same page- One manger would tell you some thing that contradicted with another manager. 2. They would not be available when the "stuff hit fan", or there was  issues that was beyond your skill set. 3. They needed a better training for new employees, very unorganized, having to do with the management not on same page. The culture of place was laid back but high pressure. Do to the fact that the staff other than management, stuck together to help each other out. Most of the time It felt like it was us against them. They need split shifts so that proper breaks could get done, with out leaving some employees "stranded". The thing that made the job enjoyable was the people, and the staff (other that management). unequal job load to the staff from management. No real incentive for doing a good job or hard workers, other then a shout out in shift meeting, and that wasn't done consistently.
Over all they need consistency with there over all work. Which starts with the management.

As an assistant manager a typical day includes reaching out to vendors/producers and making sure all products are ordered, checking stock, maintain good relations with employees and making sure everyone is focused on the task at hand. Other duties include communicating with the manager to keep everything as fluid as possible, scheduling, inventory, review revenue and losses, etc.

Workplace culture is that of an interesting one. I've seen many people come and go. I find that those who are more upbeat and less sensitive are the ones who last longer. I would say the current crew is the best yet. It's such a pleasure working with everyone!

The hardest part of the job would be using time effectively to carry out all of the daily tasks, and trust me, being an assistant manger there is a lot to do. There are plenty of times I've had to stay late to get the job done. But that being said, it's no bother. I take pride in knowing that the company can rely on me.

The best part of the job is merely just coming into work socializing with peers, carrying out the job responsibilities and knowing that Eataly has supported me for so many years. I feel fulfilled knowing they've held on to me for so long!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sous chef 28 salaries reported	$69,250 per year
Line cook 50 salaries reported	$20.05 per hour
Host/hostess 36 salaries reported	$17.70 per hour
Baker 20 salaries reported	$19.20 per hour
Floor manager 37 salaries reported	$70,757 per year

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