host/hostess

restaurant manager

carry out

assistant manager

line cook

Famous-Dave's

When I first started with FD's I was immediately overwhelmed by their cultish environment. There is literally an entire list of phrases that they require you to use each day in your interactions. You have to refer to one another and ourselves as "Famous (Insert name here)" and instead of saying a word such as "Awesome", they encourage you to replace it with "Sauceome". It's completely ridiculous.The whole business is littered with tacky signage and the logo itself; a cartoon pig cooking it's own ribs over a fire? Perhaps only a few people actually pay attention to such details, but to me it was weird and twisted. 

The job of tending bar in itself is great. Teaching new hires drink recipes and introducing them to regulars is fun and rewarding at times. It's one of the few low end jobs where you really have the opportunity to take ownership of real estate within the business itself. The bar is yours to run, as long as you keep within the standards set by the business. Shifts go by quickly because you're moving 90% of the time and when you're not completely slammed you have a bit of time to forge friendships with your patrons.

Management at the restaurant level was fine most of the time and I had a good relationship with them I believe. The District guys and upwards though were strangely pompous considering their position in life. They had an air of arrogance and self-entitled importance whenever they came around and really in no way attempted to connect with the employees to boost moral when things were really beginning to unravel. The company was bought out and the CEO is a man who used to run high up with McDonald's. The emphasis on quantity over quality was always apparent regardless of what the "culture" of FD's imposed on it's employees and patrons. 

As a bit of an introvert, I was more of an observer and never really felt directly impacted by the random changes each manager brought, or the unclear direction of the company that constantly shifted with each lunar phase. I felt bad for my co-workers though. Many of them were seriously invested in the company and one another and it was difficult for them at times to find comfort and job security.

My experience working at Famous Dave's was a very negative one. I dragged my feet into work everyday and counted down the seconds until it was time to leave. I've only ever worked at one location, so this review does not and can not speak for all of them. I was underpaid during my entire employment with this restaurant and finally put in my two weeks notice when they refused to fix it and claimed they could not get ahold of the right people to fix the issue. I worked as a part time Hostess/To-Go double. It was a slow restaurant when I worked there and i can't imagine that we ever matched our daily sales targets. I was never properly trained by management but instead by other new hires. It was a simple job, but as the hostess, you are expected to do many things. And in addition, I was needed for To-go whenever they were short staffed. As a hostess, you greet guests, seat them, accommodate for any special needs they may have, etc.--Everyday hostess job description. A hostess also busses tables, and cleans up the general restaurant area. They are expected to know the menu and promote specials during their shift, check on diners when the servers are busy, and occasionally act as a food runner during Holidays or busier shifts. If you also work as a To Go cashier, you have the opportunity to earn some tips, you operate the cashier, and it is much busier than standing around waiting to seat someone. Everyone is in a hurry these days, so to-go was where it was at, not the dine-in area. Working the To Go shifts were always more interesting and the tips helped me cope with the fact that I was making very little to no money during my hours there. It was better than nothing at the time. Oh! And guess what, the employees are so very valued that we get a whopping 50% off meals when we are on the clock and 20% off for when you are off the clock or for friends and family if you are dining with them. Only new hires who are being trained are eligible for a free meal. And we also were only allowed to have water to drink throughout the day. So yeah, to sum it all up working here sucked.

I have worked at my fair share of restaurants, but unfortunately this has been the worst, (and i’ve been worked at not so great places). This workplace is very unorganized, no set schedules, they are constantly changing the schedule with no warning. They only send schedule through your email. The place is very dirty, you can feel your feet sticking to the floor. The management is good only if they favor you. So good luck texting the manager asking about your schedule and expecting them to respond at all. If they don’t send you on your 30 min break before 6 hours and finally realize it till after, they will go into the system and clock you out 30 min, so you won’t be paid for 30 min of work. Don’t expect them to be understanding either. They only have one bartender on most days, especially friday saturday and sunday in the evenings. so you will wait 20 min just for a drink at the bar, most time costumers can’t even get their drink until their food arrives. Oh and when there’s a wait, don’t expect to have costumers come back because they don’t take phone number down, just a name and an estimated time on a white board. so servers end up losing out on money. They automatically have the cash out system so we have the percentage of the tip out taken out for bartenders, food runners and hosts, understandable. But when you there isn’t any host or food runners and the servers are doing everything and still have to tip out, you’d expect to see that tip out in your check, no you don’t. so essentially losing out on your own hard earning money. They only thing enjoyable are the majority of the staff. And notice how i said majority. One thing about here is that they don’t really support much team work, they say, but don’t show. All other restaurants i’ve worked at they help you out. But a lot of staff will stand around and stare at your food in the window while they see you doing other things. Please only work here if you constantly expect to be disappointed. 

  I was so happy to get the job at famous dave"s  but after i got the job i felt that I was not train in the right way.  did not adequately cover the specific processes and procedures required for my job. There were gaps in my knowledge and skills, making it difficult for me to perform certain tasks effectively. i was left on my ow to figure it out .  so i  did the best i could with the poor information that i had. So I waited a whole week before i was on the schedule.... The lack of proper training had a significant impact on my job performance. Without the necessary knowledge and skills, I struggled to complete tasks efficiently and effectively. It took me a while to get up to speed and be included in the schedule, causing delays and potentially affecting the overall productivity of the team. when they show for one one day. I was told they were moving in a different direction.. As a result, I was told I could work 30 hours per week and be crossed-trained.  There was one big lie on their part. Being left to figure things out on my own had significant consequences. Not only did it lead to poor performance and a lack of confidence in my abilities, but it also created a sense of frustration and resentment towards the company. The lack of proper training affected my productivity and ultimately resulted in a decrease in job satisfaction. As soon as they give me a job they take away for no reason.. and when i ask for a reason why they could not tell me. .they kept me thinking i had a job for a whole lie . The lack of proper training and guidance during the onboarding process left me feeling lost and unsupported. The incomplete and poor quality of the information provided made it incredibly difficult for me to effectively perform my job duties, resulting in confusion and frustration. And let me without a job.

I would like to share my impressions regarding the recent training I attended. Frankly, I am dissatisfied as I was not allowed to complete the training due to an issue related to my pants material. This setback, along with some observations about the dynamics within the management team, has left a negative impression on my experience.

It is essential for managers to value the time, energy, and dedication of their staff. In this regard, I feel that I was not given the opportunity to make the most of the training by not being allowed to complete it. Good leadership involves fostering an environment where all employees can fully develop and contribute significantly.

Furthermore, I have felt disheartened by the work atmosphere that I have perceived. It seemed lacking in professionalism and energy, which influences employee motivation and satisfaction. The lack of communication and maturity from some managers has contributed to this negative perception.

I would also like to address the lack of response from the general manager. My attempt to communicate to clarify my situation was ignored, which reinforces the feeling of lack of support and consideration.

In summary, I believe there is room for improvement in how responsibilities and interactions are managed within the team. Poor distribution of responsibilities and a lack of effective communication can have a negative impact on the morale and productivity of the entire staff. It is always beneficial to address these issues constructively for the benefit of the company and its employees.

I appreciate the opportunity to share my impressions and hope that these observations can contribute to improving the work dynamics in the future.


Per promotion working from home on the sales and marketing for the catering sector of the business I work many hours and did site visits and attended the large catered events but focused on the marketing targets and tactics and booking events meeting guest needs.  
My average day was getting up and sending out marketing campaign emails, cold calling and relationship building utilizing referrals.  I also answered the phones, worked up proposals and booked events which at times involved compliance on paperwork such as certificate of liability insurance, contracts for larger events obtaining PO's when applicable as well as maintaining the PO's/House Accounts for collection of payment. My evening hours were to email clients a follow up on their events to gain feedback and to assert my list of targets for the next business day.  At times I had to work on weeks if I had a very large event.  I would be responsible to show up and check on the operations end and shake hands and thank the client and their guest for choosing us.  

At times I have have to go onsite and survey it when we had an event per a construction site and add special notes to hard hats and proper shoes for these events.  

I would travel 2-3 times a year to GM Corporate meetings or conventions.      

I had bi-weekly conference calls and aided in software updates that took place from 2013 to 2016 as we evolved in technology to capture proper data needed and better software tools for sales team to utilize. and trained the stores in this new software.

Famous Dave's is a good company to work for. They serve good food that is a little pricy but if that type of food is what you enjoy, then it's worth it. Managing there wasn't difficult aside from the constant last minute catering deliveries and trying to find staff to take the deliveries...which they are limited to a certain amount of money. Any extra tips is put into a "community fund" for the rest of the employees...so it was difficult to get anyone to want to take deliveries knowing they are limited to a relatively low amount of money. Most of the employees taking deliveries get paid well...but are also servers. Anyone that has worked in the restaurant industry knows that if a server makes a higher hourly wage doing another job...whilst also working as a server in the same week, they still receive no paycheck. So if they don't get tipped on a delivery, they still won't see any of the hours they worked since it comes out of their taxes. Also the hours working there, for me individually, was not worth it. Anyone that had any tenure or was a higher level of management had the reasonable shifts and they were not alternated properly. No time at home with my family was a deal breaker. They (as in any restaurant) never care if your sick or have an emergency. If you HAVE to miss a day of work...you're making it up, regardless. Other than that, the food is fast paced and easy to execute and people typically work there for a long period of time so the people that can do it without having to worry about family time, will have no issue there.

On a typical work day I would go into work put on my apron and wash my hands. If it was a night shift I would either take over working the corner (all sides) or do prep work. If it was the morning then I would get corner set up, do prep work like breading the fish, cutting salads, making the croutons. Nightly clean up consists of a smoke if needed, and making sure everything is properly wiped down and cleaned. 
I learned a lot. I learned how to be a great leader, communicate with internationals from all different backgrounds that barely speak a word of English. 
Management was okay. At times they had their moments but in all they are some of they greatest people I worked with. IF I ever had a problem I felt comfortable going to them. And they really know how to train a great group of employees.
The hardest part of my job was since it was only seasonal and I became a trainer and learning everything so quickly I had to take the responsibility to train each and every new employee properly. And when we go from being really slow to being super busy and having to rush to get things ready. And communication was difficult.
The most enjoyable part about my job was working in an industry I love and being surrounded by all the great energy and positivity from people. And no matter how stressful the day was or who you fought with that day you left closer with the people because at the end of the night you know you're one family and you always need to stick together

What I do during a typical day at work is take orders. I try to upsell as much as possible. Ring them in. Take my guests payment (card or cash). Get the food prepared for serving or delivering. Take out the boxes and show the guest everything in there order. Make sure everything is there. Show the guest where to grab sauces, napkins, wetnaps, and utensils.

What I have learned is how to work with others, how to work in a fast paced environment. I have also learned how to use Aloha and Micros POS.

The management is very friendly, understanding, however there is no communication with management and staff.

My co-workers are funny, they know how to make the job fun and I can tell some of them enjoy working there. However, there are always the people that are miserable to be there but show up anyways. Some have positive things to say about the job, while others have negative things to say about the job. It all depends who you surround yourself around.

The hardest part of the job is going above and beyond to make things perfect in your space. Making sure things are organized. Not keeping guests waiting 20 minutes for their food. Not keeping people on hold for 5 minutes. It takes a lot of multitasking. Which I have gotten better at doing.

The most enjoyable part about my job is seeing my regulars. meeting first timers, and making a guest smile and hearing they will be returning soon because of your customer service.

Well for my first job it was very good and mostly perfect. The thing about me is that I had a lot going on not to say I was weak or anything but come on I was not so great in shape. So the overall shape of the job was perfect the food was perfect and sometimes I even wanted to go eat but just kept on forgetting to go. Also the culture of the place is very Hot Warm Feeling, the feeling you get once you see a Bucket of chicken at KFC. just cant wait but eat. The hardest part of the job is the hours its very fast paced and very busy working area, but in life I learned there you got to get back up and get back into gear, the meaning of life is letting go and not having a chance of saying Goodbye is the worse part. The most enjoyable part about Famous Dave's is that its CLEAN, Meaning the Staff is Clean, The Food is Clean, The Pots are VERY CLEAN. Once you walk in there Its Smell of "Hey". Typical day at work is that you walk in and Work till your legs start giving up and go to Football practice and school the next morning. What I Learned is that I Can Do It. Famous Dave's Made Me Famous and I made it more Hot lol Have a great day and Great Dinner. The community there, the community there was great to a lil more humble and saucy the employer was the BOSS!!! BOOM!! NEBER BACK DOWN SMASHHHH!!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Host/hostess 177 salaries reported	$15.18 per hour
Restaurant manager 156 salaries reported	$57,362 per year
Carry out 108 salaries reported	$17.05 per hour
Assistant manager 7 salaries reported	$48,429 per year
Line cook 52 salaries reported	$16.60 per hour

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