bartender

line cook

server

assistant restaurant general manager

host/hostess

Local Cantina

My experience with this company was very poor. The company claims to have a great vision and a great product. They’re very hands off. I was personally threatened by employees, I wasn’t allowed to even write up the employee. I was forced to work shifts without any help. It is difficult to work the entire line. It was so busy that I closed the kitchen. Numerous occasions I was left alone to do the cleaning and managing. I was the co-kitchen manager, but I had no help. I tried on many occasions to speak with mangers and higher ups, but I was denied access and help. I was excluded from the hiring process for any new hires. I was concerned with the amount of illegals being hired on, but was told to mind my business. I did not feel that it was a safe environment. I tried to run good service every shift, but I wasn’t given quality support in front or back of house. I gave my two week notice and was allowed to work out my time before starting my next job. I was initially impressed with the company, however that was quickly dispelled due to the toxic environment that I later faced. 

I worked as a bartender at Local Cantina and overall had a positive experience. It’s a fast paced environment that keeps you busy, and no two shifts are ever exactly the same. I met a lot of great people while working there, both coworkers and regulars, and the team environment was one of my favorite parts of the job.

The job teaches you how to multitask, stay organized under pressure, and provide good customer service during busy shifts. If you enjoy working in a high energy atmosphere and don’t mind staying on your feet, it can be a fun place to work.

Depending on the location that you work at management can either make or break your experience there. Favoritism was hard to ignore, communication was inconsistent, and decisions often felt based more on personal relationships than performance. It created an environment where it was difficult to feel valued, regardless of how hard you worked. The coworkers made the job worthwhile, but management ultimately overshadowed what could have been a great place to work

I worked at the Brewery District location in 2019 and I think my high school had less drama. The managers seemed nice.... at first. It's very clear the higher-up manager has relationships with his employees outside of the restaurant, which is okay, but he very clearly treated them differently than other employees. He played favoritism very hard. On the other hand, the other manager admitted to having a crush on a line cook, and then accused an employee of having relations with him WHILE ON THE CLOCK, which NEVER happened! She was always very scatter-brained and seemed very unfit for a management job, despite her always telling us how much experience she'd had in the past. The other employees weren't bad. The food went down in quality. I made decent tips. I don't know about other locations, but I wouldn't recommend working at this one.

Pros:
Working at this restaurant was a good opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the food service industry. The team environment was generally supportive, and I learned valuable skills such as customer service, time management, and working efficiently during busy shifts. Schedules were fairly flexible, which helped with work–life balance. Management communicated expectations clearly during most shifts.

Cons:
The job can be physically demanding, especially during peak hours. Staffing was sometimes limited, which increased stress during busy periods. Advancement opportunities were limited, and pay increases were infrequent.

Advice to Management:
Improving staffing levels during high-volume hours and offering clearer paths for advancement would help improve employee morale and retention.

I was hired with the intent of moving into management, as my resume was qualified but I had no prior management experience. I was with the company for 14 months, with no signs of advancement or clear development strategy. Management at Local Cantina is essentially the blind leading the blind. Constant lies and lip service from management figures, only worried about the business and not the individuals. Work environment could be fun at times, and there are certainly some good people there. As a whole, I would highly recommend finding employment elsewhere, you could do much better for yourself.

First, I loved the culture of the company. The fact they always gave back to recognize they're employees with holiday parties or canoe trips was awesome and not something I experienced at any other restaurant. My coworkers were amazing, the food was something to be proud to serve, and the cocktails are delicious. They had a good, thorough training program to set you up for success. So why can't they keep the same managers for over a year? Most the managers I personally had didn't seem like they were hired for their leadership skills but more so for their obedience to higher ups. Your tips go on a paycheck and they had switched mine and someone of the same first name not once but 3 times! The other person was even at a whole different store!

It's a restaurant, so obviously you're not going to have paid time off, WFH options, or retirement benefits. They do offer health insurance, though it's not great, and upper management is organized and approachable with questions. Ownership is involved, enthusiastic, and genuine. Culture is solid and well-developed, and most managers who have "bought in" protect it jealously. That said, every store varies wildly, and one incompetent manager can topple everything. Ask me how I know.

Local Cantina preaches their culture and for good reason. Staff and management truly act as a team and help take of each other. Training is comprehensive and covers everything that you will need to know. Their patios are rocking during the summer and they have many regular patrons that visit during the winters. Benefits are great and scheduling is flexible. It is also great that you receive an employee discount at any of the Orange Umbrella Restaurant locations on food and booze. If you are looking for a company to grow not only professionally, but personally, Local Cantina may be the one for you! 

High turnover for both management and staff. Don’t bother working here if you’ve never served before because they’ll talk down at you like you’re stupid. I was originally hired on as a bartender because that’s what I have experience in. Was made a server and then a hostess for whatever reason instead. The vast majority of people are rude despite being overly nice. But let’s be real being nice gets you nowhere as a server, with your coworkers at least. They don’t care if you’re struggling mentally at all. In fact they don’t even care about you at all. If you have any actual complaints they’d rather just fire you or write you up instead of changing anything.

A typical day can last anywhere from 4/8hrs depending on the amount of guests you serve. It's just like any other restaurant job I supposed. There are two separate restaurants coinciding which creates an interesting work environment and crew.Cons: no actual breaks, no strict shifts they last from your scheduled hour to basically whenever they're done needing you and you've completed your tasks,

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Bartender 58 salaries reported	$27.50 per hour
Line cook 33 salaries reported	$18.16 per hour
Server 44 salaries reported	$27.05 per hour
Assistant restaurant general manager 19 salaries reported	$50,132 per year
Host/hostess 25 salaries reported	$12.75 per hour

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