team member

shift leader

crew member

general manager

cashier

Firehouse Subs

I worked for Firehouse for roughly a year and seven months. I started out as a team member. When I  came in, I quickly excelled and became a formidable asset to the store and company. However, many of my Shift Leads (SL) had a problem with the General Manager (GM) at the time. Fortunately for them, she was terminated after being careless with how she dealt with her employees and her performance. We then went a little while without a GM, which caused alot of SLs to play the role. This led to alot of confusion and problems within the store. Around October, the owner sold the store. During this time, alot of the employees left and we acquired a new GM. This GM was there between December-ish to late July. She was a very kind woman who ended up letting the business run her insane. She became overwhelmed with balancing the insane demands from the Area Manager (AM) with her personal life and the wants of her employees. Around January (I believe) is when I began doing SL activities even though I was not getting paid for it. I did not receive my proper compensation or certifications until April due to the AM and owner both dragging their feet. Once the GM quit at the end of July, I wanted to step up and give it a shot so they allowed this. I truly enjoyed most of my time in this position. I was able to mold and shape the store and employees as needed. All of the employees were listened to, understood, and happy working under me. The only issues I ever had as a GM came from the AMs and the owner. They have horrible communication skills and have no sense of understanding. Nothing was ever correct in there eyes and there was always room for improvement, Getting a compliment from them was like pulling teeth. I honestly have felt like since I met the old AM back in November, he wanted to get rid of me. I was always content when my communication with upper management was limited. My store was in harmony. The company probably is not that bad, but the people I worked for are money-hungry b*****s. They don't care about the worker ants or anyone's well-being. If their goals aren't met, then nothing else matters and it's all your fault. The way they handle business is terrible and I would not advise this job if you have ANYTHING else to do instead of work because the job is very time-monopolizing. They will put the email on your  phone, call you all times of the night, email you during shifts and get upset when you don't reply, etc. It can be very overwhelming if you have outside obligations... I enjoyed my employees and my time there and it has really broken my heart that a company I went so hard for has allowed me to be tossed aside and replaced with shrapnel. I have received countless calls from my former employees about the carelessness of the new management and it breaks my heart.

Long story short, do not invest too much into Firehouse Subs. I will miss all of my employees and regulars and I am sure the store will decline with my departure. As GM, I always acted with the store's and my employees' best interest at heart, but they will toss you and all of that to the side for THEIR best interest and the "company's" best interest.

Pros: (as team member): oppportunities to learn and grow, flexible
(as GM): great leadership building

Cons: Time-consuming, no benefits, poor upper management

My experience working at Firehouse Subs involved a mix of straightforward job duties and a challenging workplace environment.

The job tasks themselves were generally structured, easy to learn, and predictable, which made it simple to stay on task once trained. However, the overall workplace environment and interpersonal dynamics made the experience more difficult.

During my time there, I observed communication patterns that sometimes included gossip and indirect commentary in the workplace, which contributed to a tense atmosphere at times.

From my perspective, management communication was not always consistent or direct, and there were moments where expectations or responses to questions felt unclear. There were also instances where work-related communication occurred outside of scheduled hours.

I also experienced situations where trust and communication felt inconsistent, particularly around how information was shared within the workplace.

At times, feedback or direction felt indirect or delivered in a way that added pressure rather than clarity. I also observed workplace interactions that contributed to a sense of exclusion or discomfort in the environment.

In addition, I experienced moments where workplace tone and interactions felt conditional depending on the situation, which made the environment feel less consistent socially.

There were also times when instructions from different sources did not always align, which created confusion about the correct way to complete certain tasks.

I also experienced uncertainty around scheduling at times, particularly when changes in availability or communication occurred without clear follow-through.

From my perspective, the overall workplace culture sometimes felt stressful and difficult to navigate, especially during a personally challenging period in my life.

While the job itself was manageable and structured, the environment made it difficult at times to feel fully comfortable or supported in the workplace.

Overall, I think the role itself is straightforward, but the workplace environment and communication style can significantly affect the experience depending on the location and management style.

When I started, things were a little, rocky. I tried my best, but couldn't always perform to expectations (totally my fault) but quickly managed to recover. However, there are a few things I learned there.

1.) While the people there that you will work with care, it's more in the name of self-interest rather than the team as a whole. It takes plenty of work to get them to start, and even then it isn't guaranteed. It's not even the managers per say, but some of the workers.

2.) The hours, while at odds with the scheduling of life most times, can be worked around, as long as you know the right things to say and do to make it work.While most of the time, I had a pretty good schedule, there were several schedules in a row that really just weren't (granted, they were short staffed and were really working to fix it, while at the same time trying to remain within labor laws and the ability to keep the days properly staffed to avoid too high stress levels.) Even when mentioning such things, it was generally just met with "I'm trying, I'm not perfect, you just have to deal with it." While at times, it would've been okay. If you hadn't booked a day or set of with plenty of warning (pretty much a good few weeks in advance) you were still at risk for being picked off by those with seniority, which can be understandable unless you are just that special of a snowflake.

3.) Final thing, all that I have told you is really only just my experience. when I've talked to other people about it, they mentioned about the same thing, but some were incredibly different and sounded really good. It is all in how you work and react to things happening to you.

All in all, this can be a really good job, if you work hard and take whatever happens to you with a smile and a can do attitude. Just, be prepared to have to learn everything at high speeds and be expected to remember all of it flawlessly, especially if you plan to aim high for management positions, because you will be put up to a lot. I have had a great time with most of the people, but it really just grew old fast. The same routine day in and day out, only changed by the people depending on how they felt that day. While this can be a good job. I definitely recommend it to people who already have experience and know what they are doing beforehand, not people who choose it for their first job, otherwise, pray you get good people who will work with you really detailed (the gm here is amazing, just, get used to really fast talking and plenty of bad jokes. You'll know when you see her, just remember to ask about her soul.)

TL:DR. A good job overall with genuinely nice people, just not quite what a first job could be unless you really enjoy fast-paced environments and wonky schedules at times.

During my time at Firehouse Subs, I was quickly lead to understand that this wasn't your average workplace and that the people that work with you really do determine if you will have a good day or not. I was brought in as a Crew Member regularly making sandwiches, taking orders, cleaning the entire shop and working through a pandemic took a toll on my mental health. A typical day at work would look like arriving and opening the shop and being expected to get all of the daily tasks down. Nothing unusual except the lack of accountability expected from other co-workers and employees really gave the shift leads a hard time. From opening, you were expected to deal with customers who wouldn't wear masks and being tasked to enforce the rule while customers (atleast on the side of town I was at) felt they were above your rule. Working throughout the day was the longest and the responsibilities put on the backs of the shift leads here were ridiculous for the pay to say the least. 

Management at my specific Firehouse Subs was a nightmare. What went from a first good couple of months working with Firehouse then a switch of management turned into the next months of anguish. From working 6-8 hr shifts to then working 10-11 hr shifts became the new normal. Management here would talk behind your back to their other upper co-workers and push you out of the establishment instead of firing you. Could be a pro, but when going to work, you're expected to do one thing, and that is to work. The amount of drama and gossip that spread at the location I was at was annoying. 

Workplace Culture wasn't bad when everyone was on good terms with each other. We all got along and had very good times working together when there wasn't any co-worker fighting another over minimal things.

The hardest part of my job would have to be the lack of knowledge on certain programs due to not being actually taught how to use said programs. The expectation that after being shown a quick rundown of how to use said program and that no mistakes could be made afterwards was ridiculous. Another hard part about this job would be the ratio of shift lead to crew member. For every 8 crew members there was 1 shift lead. 

The most enjoyable part of the job would be the understanding customers and the store owner coming in every so often and applauding us for working hard through a pandemic. 

There are countless factors as to why this was easily the worst job I'd ever worked at, to the point where each time I think of one reason I hated working here, I think of three more reasons on top of it. First off, the pay is abysmal for team members and shift leads alike; you'll get paid significantly more as a team member at most fast-food establishments than as a manager at this location. And on top of that, these jobs are usually a lot easier and more flexible with hours. That raises another factor, which is that the hours are very fixed when it comes to your availability. They lack flexibility with hours and will try and push for you to accommodate to them instead of the other way around.

The work is very hard here, which in of itself isn't a problem if there was a healthy and positive environment for employees and customers alike. Firehouse was not at all a positive environment, and I had even witnessed a manager screaming and yelling profanities at another team member for being too slow. It was the most horrendous incident I'd ever witnessed at a job, and my biggest regret was not leaving right then and there.

The workload on an average day before recoveries ranged from slightly challenging to very physically demanding. As I can't emphasize enough, there was no positive encouragement or fun to be had here. One of the managers explicitly said that if we're doing everything correctly, that them not saying anything is the "positive encouragement." Do not settle for this when there are jobs out there that encourage and implement positivity and praise in their team members, I promise you they do exist. 

On top of that, they don't prioritize customer service and making the customer feel special. The interaction between employees and customers is very minimal, and it was near impossible for me to find opportunities to make the customer's experience special when the manager in charge was hogging the register instead of helping us most of the time. If this company cared about their employees and customers have as much as they claim to care about first responders, then this would be a much better company to work for.

The job was so bad that I had nightmares for a week after. Do not work here.

This would be a perfect job for college kids, minors, or an in between jobs as your looking for another. however, if your looking to pay more then a phone bill its not worth it. There was a few minutes of training and then left on your own. When you try to take it upon yourself to try to learn something new, your pushed to the side and still not shown. The GM is too laid back, and when I say too laid back, he doesn't care what goes on. And the owners of this franchise are something else as well and visit often. You would think being owners, they would be more professional, but all three of them do not have a lick of professionalism in them at all! I've seen the (husband) owner get after employees in front of not just other employees but the customers as well. The (wife) owner loose her mind over something so small....as small as how many onions you put on the sub. She had 1 extra onion on the sub. Not kidding. One employee came to work drunk, and brought her beer in the store, laid it by the computer in the office, and no ever said anything to her...... even after she flipped a wig out on other employees over a small miscommunication. Nothing was done about it and guess what? She was a shift leader. There is no respect for the employees at all. No breaks unless your taking out trash or a few boxes. But be careful even with that, one time I was outside for 5 minutes taking trash out, and I was in trouble for taking too long. And unless MI labor laws are different then KY (recently moved from there) even the minors don't get a break.  And don't think open communication works either. They knew I had car problems and knew they needed to be addressed and had to call off for two days straight. I got into trouble as they acted like they knew nothing about it. I was told that I should of spent 20.00 there by using uber, and 20.00 back home with an uber. No Thank You! So i quit! You don't get hours like that, you don't get respect, and no one cares. Worse experience I have ever had with an employer. 

It's no secret that making sandwiches is easy, but once you assert yourself and get promoted, you'll find that working at Firehouse is more than just a day to day grind. You have to remember many important days (ie. days to place truck and produce orders, to count inventory, and days to let people off work early to keep labor costs down). 

What I learned most as a manager at Firehouse was how to enforce rules and keep employees in check without being a tyrant. You have to learn what each person is like as an individual, and cater to their personalities. One employee, for example, may need you to tell them exactly what to do, step by step. Another might get offended by that, and need to be approached in a more relaxed "Hey, this might work better" approach. 

The hardest part of working at Firehouse was definitely getting use to angry customers. Growing up, I always saw people as polite and easy-going, so the first time someone yelled at me for misunderstanding their order, I was struck speechless. Needless to say, I quickly learned how to calmly apologize and persuade the customer to let me fix my mistake. It's much more satisfying to see a customer that was once angry come back into your store as a loyal customer. 

My favorite part about working at Firehouse has always been the warm atmosphere. I've been there for two years, and have loved coming in and laughing each day with my coworkers. I find it rare to hear of people being friends with their coworkers after they move on, but I will, without a doubt, still cherish these people and keep in touch.

During my time at Firehouse Subs, I experienced numerous issues that greatly impacted my work environment and overall experience. Firstly, my training period was insufficient and occurred during an incredibly busy week, which set a poor foundation for my role.

Furthermore, when I faced personal transportation challenges and was unable to return to work promptly, I was promptly terminated without any consideration for alternative solutions. This lack of flexibility and understanding from management was disheartening.

The workplace culture was notably unprofessional, with staff openly gossiping in front of customers and favoring personal acquaintances over professional conduct. Additionally, the management's disregard for health and safety protocols was alarming, as evidenced by an employee being coerced to work while infected with COVID-19.

The overall atmosphere was mildly hostile, with little support or guidance provided to employees who made mistakes. Instead of constructive feedback, there was a tendency to belittle and criticize, creating a toxic work environment.

Moreover, it was evident that the owner's personal issues spilled into the workplace, making for an uncomfortable and unprofessional setting. Finally, the lax approach to drug screening allowed for a culture where many employees were high during work hours, which greatly compromised productivity and professionalism.

In conclusion, my experience at Firehouse Subs was marred by numerous issues ranging from inadequate training and management to a toxic work culture and disregard for health and safety. I would caution anyone considering employment at this establishment to thoroughly assess the working conditions before committing.

I was initially pretty pleased with this job. It was easy once you got the hang of it.

But I quickly realized that we were CONSTANTLY under scheduled for rushes, to the point where every shift was a struggle, because management wouldn't schedule enough workers, despite them already knowing that this would increase wait times for food, and would lead to the entire staff being angry about constantly overworked.  Often, it would just be 1 other worker and I running the entire store while the GM stood at his computer, ignoring the need to help us get orders out when we were absolutely slammed.

The management frequently complains about being "understaffed," even though they are the ones making the schedule. On top this, they refuse to schedule anyone for longer than a 5 hour shift. Frequently, I would be scheduled for 3 or 4 hour shifts 6 days a week. How does that make sense, over just scheduling someone for a few 6-8 hour shifts instead?  It just makes no sense how management complains about supposed staffing issues, when this could be easily fixed by scheduling more people, and for slightly longer shifts. 

And it's completely normal at this job for the weekly schedule to not come out until 7 or 8 PM on Sunday (the work week at Firehouse starts on Monday). It's frustrating not knowing when you're supposed to work until the night before.

I ghosted on this job after I put my two weeks in, and my schedule for the upcoming week didn't come out until 8 PM on Sunday. I just decided that was the final straw, and management could continue complaining about how "understaffed" they are, now that I would be gone.

So, the owner of the location I worked at back in 2015 was pretty stubborn and stingy. The manager treated the place like a daycare.

BREAKS: The shop was empty most of the time; even then, we were rarely allowed to take breaks. If we were lucky enough to have meal breaks, we could only eat Firehouse food. The food wouldn't be given to us for free, but select menu items for 10% off. We couldn't bring food from home because the owner thought customers would like seeing employees eating the restaurant's own food.

SANITATION: The owner bought one set of food service rags. I worked there for about a year, during that time, the rags were sanitized and laundered maybe twice. The same rag used to wipe the bathroom sinks would be used to wipe the dining room tables. The owner encouraged us to water down the sanitizing sprays to save money. At one point, we had a serious ant problem in the dining room. The owner's solution was to "cover up" the ants by moving the chip display.

MANAGEMENT: The owner only gave good hours to employees that would schmooze. If a customer became disagreeable with an employee, even if the employee deescalated the situation well, that employee would be taken off the schedule. The owner hired young women, mostly high school girls, and would treat them badly. When making the schedule, they would passive-aggressively demand 24/7 availability. If an employee picked up a second job, that employee would be removed from the schedule indefinitely until they quit. The manager would frequently bring their toddler to work.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Team member 691 salaries reported	$12.41 per hour
Shift leader 703 salaries reported	$14.62 per hour
Crew member 417 salaries reported	$12.77 per hour
General manager 315 salaries reported	$50,947 per year
Cashier 214 salaries reported	$11.49 per hour

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