restaurant staff

team member

assistant general manager

shift manager

food & beverage team member

Fazolis

It was great, I learned a lot about customer interactions and how fast food chains function on a daily basis. I was excited to go to work each day, learn new things, and make advancements. When I started, all the managers were like high school buddies. Which presented a lot of issues between employees because "Managers X,Y, and Z" get to do whatever because they're all friends. So even when they clearly violated policies, like going out after work to bars with regular employees (non managers), there were never any punishments (write ups).

So that made it hard when I became a manager as I'm pretty strict when it comes to policies. When they were violated, the offender was promptly spoken to (verbal warning), if the offence was repeated it was written up. This caused a ton of issues between me and the other managers because I wasn't included in their wheelhouse of friends and would frequently write them up for major violations.

Employees that I worked with were great, they were all energetic and excited when they got to work on one of my shifts. The main reason for this, is because my policy handling. There's a time for fun, there's a time for work, and there's a little time for both. 

We were always opened and ready or closed and leaving on time each day because I would keep my employees focused on their tasks. While other employees were engaged in their positions, I'd usually be found helping them get good start on their task lists when I could. I would make work fun and engaging by playing games to make duties seem fun. Things like "First to Complete Their List Gets a Free Dessert!" or "Pizza Party For My Team If We Leave On Time!" The other manager shifts weren't leaving until nearly 1 AM, we closed at 10 most nights, and then I'd hear from the staff in the morning that they never helped and just screwed around with each other most of the night.

Well push came to shove, district manager got involved, some managers quit because of "expectations", some were fired for violations. This did not please the Store Manager who was friends with them all, so he went looking for another job.

Which forced Fazoli's to spiral into a year of one Store Manager after another. Literally every 4 months we'd get a new Store Manager, who would want to re-organize the whole store to their liking which was stressful on all staff members having to change item locations every so often, they really couldn't remember where anything was or went.

Soon we had our 4th Store Manager in year. She was the worst of the worst. Immediately started dating another employee, promoted said employee to management position above mine after only 3 months of employment. Then they would screw around every night until 2 or 3 in the morning accomplishing nothing. I would show up at 7 AM and find one of them passed out on the desk with dishes undone, a dirty lobby/tables, garbage and recycle from last night's shift still everywhere. After about 6 times of coming in 2 hours early to complete what they couldn't the night before, I had had enough and I quit.

I can't speak for them now, maybe they've gotten themselves back on track and aren't such a wreck when it comes to employee/manager turnover. It was an experience that taught me a lot about interpersonal communications and relationships.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The people you work alongside. Breadsticks. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
This workplace has serious and persistent issues that raise major concerns about safety, cleanliness, and basic professionalism. Management lacked clear processes, sanitation standards were consistently poor, and recurring pest and equipment-maintenance concerns were ignored instead of addressed. There were no benefits or PTO, and call‑ins were handled in ways that felt inappropriate and invasive.
Despite a decade of strong attendance, I was repeatedly pressured to work through injuries, family emergencies, and pregnancy‑related medical concerns—situations that should have been met with basic care and compliance with workplace safety expectations.
Additionally, accountability was almost nonexistent. Policies existed on paper but were rarely enforced, creating an environment where serious performance issues went unchecked and even former employees with problematic histories were rehired without consideration.
Overall, the lack of structure, safety, and professional standards made this an extremely distressing place to work.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The physical work environment often felt unclean, and while some team members were friendly and dedicated, others were volatile, resistant to change, and lacked accountability. There was little sense of work–life balance, and at times the culture felt overly cliquish, which made the workplace atmosphere unnecessarily tense.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I was an associate from 2013-2015, then moved into management until I departed the business. 
 
The work experience can vary greatly from day to day, largely depending on who is on shift. Many associates are hardworking and contribute positively to the team. However, there are also managers and employees who seem disengaged, which can lead to a challenging or toxic work environment.
In my role, I regularly oversaw shift operations, managed staffing and labor costs, counted drawers, created and deposited nightly bank deposits, and handled catering, inventory, and ordering. I worked across all positions as an associate before moving into management, where I continued to support all roles while taking on additional leadership responsibilities.

I would recommend this job to anyone who enjoys engaging with many different customers. There have been many heartwarming/positive interactions I have had here (customers and fellow employees alike), and it made me feel good knowing I was coming in to work at such an inviting place. I felt appreciated, too, even if some employees didn't understand who I was as a person fully. We got things done when we needed to, but we also didn't take ourselves so seriously that working there felt boring or stressful.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend this job to someone like me who has lots of issues with overheating, feeling tired/fatigued, has issues with falls/fine motor skills, or has issues with standing for long periods. 

I had to stop working here as it got too hot for me (I have FND), especially since it was in the summer time. It is possible to walk from campus, I noticed, but I would not advise it. They accommodated me heavily for my disabilities, which I cannot stress enough, but over time it caught up to me (as chronic stress typically does on my body) which is part of why I had to discontinue work here.

Back to the positives: this restaurant was super close to my campus at the time, which made it nice when I had off days as I could stop in and use my discount to get food and drinks, which really helped me while studying at EKU. It was nice too that while I worked there, you got a free meal while on shift. I don't know of many places I have worked at that have offered that.

Overall, I would say that I thoroughly enjoyed working here. If you are an extrovert or love engaging with people in a fast paced environment, they have ample positions for you in the front to discuss (and possibly even at drive through). If you like working alone, they may have spots where you prepare food for orders or do dishes. Some positions do overlap, but that is what is also wonderful about this job. You can always shift to other areas; they are willing to work with you.

Last thing to note: there are opportunities for advancement, I just wasn't able to stay long enough to experience them for myself. I heard about them a lot, though, when I was there.

Throughout my year at Fazoli’s, the biggest thing I have learned is how to be a leader. I was able to learn every position from front of house, drive-thru, and kitchen to prep and pasta. I am now able to run each position very well and my coworkers look to me for help and guidance no matter which position they are working. I was able to become a Certified Trainer because of this. This has also helped me outside of work and assisted me into receiving leadership positions in school and at sports. 

My typical day at work is starting where I am scheduled and most of the time I am pulled somewhere else to help out or to cover for one of my coworkers’s break. I don’t think I have worked in just one position for a shift lately which is nice for me because I enjoy a variety. 

Management was iffy for a few months. It would just be a one or two of them who were unorganized and unable to perform to their best abilities. It has gotten a lot better since then and I’m very glad about it. For the most part, they try their best to make everything in the store run as smooth as possible. 

I really enjoy the workplace culture. We all come from different backgrounds and they have taught me different points of views and outlooks of the future in life. I learn a lot from my coworkers. We work together well because of it and it helps a lot since no one person can do it all. It takes a team to accomplish everything. 

I would say that the hardest part of the job is covering for my coworkers who either call off or don’t show up. Since I am able to work every position, I am the “go-to” person to call in and help. It makes it harder when I am already working and we have multiple call-offs and nobody can come in to cover for them. The rare days where there is only one person in each position are very hard to work with and seem impossible at times. 

I would say the best part of the job is when everything is done and ran smoothly. The best part is after a rush and the dining room is clean and stocked from recovery, drive-thru is stocked, and the kitchen is nice and orderly. It doesn’t happen every single day due to some circumstances, but it’s very nice when everything is put in place and you have a second to breathe and look at all that was accomplished.

I have worked in restaurants for almost 20 years and for roughly 10 different companies from fine dining to fast food. I have managed for 3. So far Fazoli's is by far my favorite. I am able to make competitive pay for my position and still have a significantly better quality of life than I did managing other concepts.

While I deal with many of the same challenges as every restaurant (call offs, product issues, incredibly tight labor, etc.) what impresses me is that this company cares about it's people. I don't mean that in some kind of touchy feely way, but I'm talking about systems in place to take care of it's people. For example, as a salaried manager I receive sick days. I have NEVER heard of sick days in any other restaurant company. Second example, an associate of mine lost her house due to a natural disaster. Fazoli's has a "compassion fund" that helped her with money for downpayment on a new place to live. 

Systems like this and more show me that the company actually does care about it's employees and their quality of life.

The second thing impresses me is the culture of integrity. When I started with Fazoli's my intention was to gain experience until I could move to a "better" job at a higher position. I have since changed my mind and am planning a career path with Fazoli's. From the top down the culture of integrity and keeping your promises greatly impresses me. I have met the CEO, V.P., and a many other of the corporate big wigs. Every one of them has shown me through their actions that their primary focus is doing the right thing.

Lastly I am happy to work for a company where I can shine. I have been a GM for less than a year and have been able to have such an impact on my restaurant that I have gained national recognition. My superiors all support me in my success and constantly drive me to do better. 

Success and a satisfying career are right here if you just put people first, work hard, and do what you say you will do.

A typical day at Fazoli's would be first opening up the store by prepping all of the foods you would be using throughout the day, such as making the pasta, sorting and organizing broccoli, sausage, sauces, mushrooms, etc. Once the store opens at 11:00 am, atleast one or two people will be assigned at the front of the house, (front registers and dining area). Two people will be assigned to the drive-thru, but usually one will be working alone (unless help is needed) and the other employee will be washing dishes and/or prepping the garlic breadsticks. One to three people will be assigned for steamtable, bake table and to catch and prepare anything that comes out of the oven. Throughout the day more employees will be coming and going depending on how close it is to the busiest times of the day. There are typically atleast 3 to 4 managers working throughout the entire day, with a total of 6 or 7. All managers are hardworking and very nice individuals that will go above and beyond to meet a customers needs. Most of the employees are hardworking as well, and just as nice. I would say the hardest part of the job would be trying to meet every guest's expectations and needs when it is around the busiest times of day, lunch time and dinner time, especially if we are under staffed for the day. The Bridgeton store is one of the busiest stores in the St. Louis area, so it gets to be overwhelming at times when a large amount of people come into the dining room and through the drive-thru at the same time. The most enjoyable part of the job would be having fun with coworkers and meeting new, friendly people everyday.

Its a very challenging job for me especially when  this place is always short-handed.
Few equipments been breaking down,few of them gets fixed then breaks down again.I myself had to contact the corp office about few issue that Im very concerned about the safety of the customers about the supervisor not doing well to few of these equipment repair and I get uncomfortable the way the supervisor was talking to me the way I was trying to enforce the repair so the customers will have safe food and drink to enjoy.
(its the worm and mosquito larvae  on the ice-cube in the ice-machine.)
I had to clean it out myself.
pasta boiler wheel broken and not being fixed,almost shocked myself trying to move the drain pipe(pasta boiler) away from the floor drain so I can empty the pasta water from the shop vac after doing clean ups before the end of my shift.
The manager was being too dependent to others if one person calls off.But I really liked working for her. she is a really nice and fun person to work with.I hated to let her down but with me working 2 jobs in a week, its really taking toll on my health and depression so I had to leave this place(GREAT FOOD BY THE WAY!) to work at my other job that Im very happy with.
**If I had to get more pay and to get more people to work at this place,It would've been easy**

This place is great, biweekly pay,manager is ok,** morning dishwashers needed,food prep-pasta cooker needed**

***** THIS PLACE NEED A GOOD AND CARING EMPLOYEES THAT ALWAYS KEEPS THE PLACE CLEAN,CARES ABOUT CLEANING AND MAKING SURE THE FOOD IS GREAT TO EAT FOR THE SAFETY AND CONCERNS OF OTHERS*****

I felt like im the only one who cares about that place :( and I felt like Im the only star employee too.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part of working at this company was the wonderful family-like environment despite having a large turnover rate. The management was very supportive and cooperative.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about working at Fazoli’s is working in an understaffed building during a huge rush or preparing 3-4 catering orders within one hour. Another stressful part was making customers understand pricing differences especially when the prices kept changing.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work culture of this company was like working with a bunch of friends. Everybody was supportive and encouraged each other to keep hustling. I will say that my location was in a small college town so majority of the staff was from the college and so that gave everyone something in common. Also there were various times when the “back of house” (kitchen) staff would throw tantrums, so that is something to watch out for. But it was overall a good place to work.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I was mainly on expo. I knew how to perform every position, so I would help on drive thru and the front register. And if the kitchen was backed up, it affected my job (which was to bag orders and take out dine-in orders), so I often had to hop in the kitchen and quickly make a salad or help run the oven. Our store was very short staffed, so everyone was willing to pitch in. And I was typically a closer, so I would clean and make sure everything is stocked for the morning.

Aside from unorganized management, working there was a great experience. Typically I ran the drive thru. That part of the job is the busiest job one can do at Fazolies. There is a lot that is expected of the person on drive. However, if one can handle the stress that job produces, one can do anything else in the store. Management had some serious issues. There wasn't always a lot of communication unless it was about something that was wrong. Some managers are made to do more than they were capable of doing, then punished for not getting it all done. A few of them were not well trained with the technology that played a critical part in their jobs. On the same token, the technology being used is in serious need of an update. My co-workers were, for the most part, great. Everyone had their ups and downs, including myself. The people i worked with quickly became friends that made working at that establishment a great experience.  The hardest part of the job was dealing with the stress that working in a successful restaurant in a positive way. The best part of the job was the satisfaction I got from customers that I helped. When a customer was dissatisfied and I helped to fix the problem, ensuring their future business as a part of a response team, it made me feel like I was helping Fazolies grow.Being part of a working team and helping to keep customers happy gave me a great feeling.  Overall, a great experience.

Working for almost a year it has been a fun place to work with an amazing staff and coworkers.  I have received employee of the month twice and giving one of the highest standing achievements in the company and was even given a letter from the CEO of MANA. The hours are good and the company is well maintained through local companies to ensure everything is in working order. One of the biggest cons is how much you are paid. It is not something you will be living off of but if you are a student or someone who does not pay a house rent then this is an ideal job. Another downside is when the company is cutting hours during slow times, it is not uncommon for the 3 person kitchen to be working off of 2 associates or even being back there by yourself for 30 minutes up to two hours from my personal experience. If you do ask , management at this location has been known to step in and help at times if  your kitchen falls behind on orders or as they call it a wrapped ticket wheel. Same goes for the  register/dining room position. overall though this is a really nice place to work and it is very enjoyable to work there with an amazing team. They will always jump in and help you without you asking since the staff there are allowed to float some if a position is to get bottle necked.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Restaurant staff 8 salaries reported	$13.88 per hour
Team member 21 salaries reported	$12.24 per hour
Assistant general manager 2 salaries reported	$45,000 per year
Shift manager 1 salary reported	$15.50 per hour
Food & beverage team member 64 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour

Working at Fazoli's: Company Overview and Reviews

Fazoli's

Fazoli's Ratings

Popular jobs at Fazoli's

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected