host/hostess

dishwasher

cook

busser

prep cook

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

I quickly quit working here after 10 months  (quit just before the pandemic) because ... management at the Duncanville, Texas  location is HIGHLY unprofessional and disrespectful. Management will ACT respectfully and professional when speaking to a guest but when it comes to speaking to an employee THEY ARE RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL. Other management from other locations have expressed the same concerns when it comes to this location about management.   The pay in tips is a hit or miss. Some days you will make money some days you won’t. In all it would be a waste of time to come in on slow days.  YOU WILL NOT LEAVE ON TIME! If your schedule says you get off at 3:30pm you won’t leave until 4:30pm or later.  Tip pool (the money taken out of your hard earned  tips to pay the bussers and back of house staff) will take most of your earnings even though the bussers don’t do much. Servers do more work than the bussers. Servers have to “pre-buss” the tables basically doing ALL THE HEAVY DUTY WORK, while all the bussers do is wipe the table down. Why am I paying the bussers/back of house staff money out of MY tips if I have to do majority of their work myself?? Doesn’t make sense. Management does not care about your mental health or issues/emergencies that may arise in your personal life. You cannot request days off from work. That is not a thing here. If you need a day off you will just have to get your shift covered and if you can’t get your shift covered you will just have to come to work and miss whatever it is you needed the day off for, no if ands or buts about it.  The servers bring in the money but yet we don’t get free food. If you work a double you get a meal... something off the KIDS Menu.... Servers work hard and bring majority of the money into the company AND NOT TO MENTION deal with the guests, give the best service and create the atmosphere at the restaurant. we deserve a little more than something off the kids menu like seriously. The upper management does not care about the employees either. They act like they do but of course they don’t. Also, it’s a very messy atmosphere here at this location. DO NOT TELL YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE TRUST AND BELIEVE ME EVERYONE WILL KNOW BY THE END OF THE SHIFT. A complete breach in confidentiality. Also, management shows favoritism. It’s not fair and is a clear breach of the rules. All the managers at this location are so emotional it’s annoying. If they are in a funky mood nothing will get done and you will get disrespected. Watch your paystubs because you are suppose to get a little check every two weeks but sometimes you won’t see a check. Management will try to say “you made so much money during the week in tips so it just took it out” WRONG! You are suppose to see money on your check stub even if it’s just 2 or 3 dollars. DO NOT LET THEM GET OVER ON YOU! DO NOT LET THEM DISRESPECT YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DO THEY WILL DISRESPECT YOU EVERY-TIME! It doesn’t take long for you to work here to see for yourself all the misconduct that goes on. 

I started my career at Pappadeaux a year or so before the pandemic hit.  I worked at 3 locations in my time with the concept.  I would not recommend it to anyone, unless they are really down on their luck.  
If you are a busser, shucker, bar back, or dishwasher you will be underpaid and over worked. If you are a host, server, or bartender expect that any given shift the guest will viciously attack you on a regular bases, often well past crossing the line.  When this happens please know management will not have your back, because corporate will not their backs. 
As a server you may be tasked taking care of 10-20 individuals at one table, this is not supposed to happen but it does. Know that regardless of your service you may not get tipped, and if that happens you actually have to pay out of pocket 3.5% of your sales on that table out of pocket.  So let’s say you sell $500 on a table that stayed all night, worked you crazy hard, you did everything right, but they chose not to tip you now owe the restaurant $17.50 at cash out.  There is no automatic gratuity on parties of any size, unless they are banquets.
Management is extremely taxing. It’s 24/7 work, little to no work life balance, extremely high expectations, and you are expected to staff a restaurant that no body in their right mind wants to work at.  Money can be alright, still in every case not enough, but still alright enough you get used to stomaching terrible work, for long hours, and if you are any good at your job you will be abused. For example they don’t have to give you food, and if you work 12 hours the most they are supposed to give you is a kids meal. 
Before you come here try any other restaurant or at least any other pappas concept before this one. Don’t try to build your career at Pappadeaux. The worst kind of guests constantly frequent Pappadeaux, because the systems in place enable all of the worst behaviors.
I have seen a guest throw food on the floor the demand their server cleans it up referring to them as a “b word”, as a manager I could not do anything as corporate would view me asking them to leave as a “failure”.

A typical day started off with making sure my uniform was on point (dry cleaned, clean pants & vest, my 4 pens, and my bank which was like $43 or something like that) and being at least 3-5 minutes early. We begin getting the restaurant ready for our typical lunch rush. Then we'd  have our morning meeting, learn the special & get to your section. The next 3 hours was non-stop rush, had to be on your p's & q's & remain professional at all times. Then clean your section & wait to get cut. 
I learned to have complete confidence & professionalism through the most embarassing or humiliating experiences such as when you mess up an order or the food is taking too long. To remain calm & focus on how to fix the error and to still keep all three to four tables in your section going great simultaneously. I worked all  lunches, so it's a rush like I never experienced anywhere else. Night rush was the same, but more laid back in my opinion. I learned to sell myself & know that I am representing the restaurant & to do it well.
The management was alright, there are many managers you deal with, so you of course have your favorites & ones you do not like, but you still respect the rules & boundaries. They do treat you like you are dispensable, which you are but it would've been nice to feel appreciated.
The hardest part was no doubt keeping your cool when you are in the "weeds' or a manager upset you, you always kept a smile on your face. The customer is always right was also the hardest thing to deal with because at the Hollister location I witnessed a lot of false claims because Pappadeaux's gives out gift cards for any complaint. True or not. People did some crazy stuff, I watched the same lady pull her hair out & place it in her food, then complain & get a free meal like 3-4 times. It was crazy.The most enjoyable part was counting up how much I made & getting the out of there.

Management is trash! Shows favoritism, unorganized, and you'll feel unappreciated. Not all managers are bad but the hostile atmosphere make you don't want to work there. 

On a double you get a to choose a meal off the kids menu which I think is unfair especially when we throw away the leftover food at the end of the night. 

The work environment is a revolving door. No one stays longer than 5 months which is sad and shows a lot on the management behalf. 

Be able to work holidays new years, mother's day, father's day, etc there's no calling off or any excuses, if you don't show you're fired. 

If not able to work a day you will have to find some one to cover your shift and even sometimes pay someone (especially if it's a Saturday!!!)

The GM is ok. I never had any issues with the GM or any other managers but I observe how they treat others and feel that others get treated unfairly and unappreciated. 

Training can be a pain but once you get through it you'll be fine. Half of the things I learned I taught or observed myself on the floor or by watching other experience servers. Once training is done you will start on TWO tables then work you way up to THREE no matter how experienced your are. 

On average working 4 days (not including doubles) I average out to $800- $1,000 a week 


Overall working at Pappadeaux is not a bad place to work it, it has potential. It's definitely not a place to step up and earn a career in but it's good money to pay the bills. 

The only reason people stay is because of the great work staff!

The clientele has decreased though. 

A day at work consists of fast paced, hard labor. You have to be able to multi-task and manage your time efficiently. When things get busy you have to be able to pull your own weight and do your job, fast. Or else you will get left behind and pull the team down.

The thing I learned is to have thick skin. Its not a glamorous job and at times can be either humbling or humiliating. Its a job where you have to have a stiff upper lip. Not for the undisciplined or lacking of solid work ethic.

Management was outstanding. A broad spectrum of individuals from all walks of life. Professionals who stick to the policies and integrity of the company while also doing their best to facilitate the needs of their employees.

Co workers were people just like me. You had a few bad apples but most everyone were very down to earth. Hard working people just trying to make an honest living. For the most part they felt like a family rather than co workers.

Hardest part of the job is working so hard for so little. In 3 years I made a dollar raise and practically ran the kitchen by myself for most of it. You wont get paid what you deserve most likely but you will most likely be made a candidate for advancement of some sort. Which is worth the effort to the dedicated employee.

Most enjoyable part of the job was the people. Lot of friendly faces and a lot of great memories. When times are tough you almost always had someone there for you as more than a co worker and that really stands out for me.

Daily work life meant arriving in proper attire, and properly maintained attire, attending required meetings and delivering what we were instructed to(special daily menu items, articulate descriptions that sound pleasing to the ear and appetite). 

I learned how to consolidate trips, while maintaining proper execution of required tasks within the company's desired protocols. I learned how to serve food to guests properly.

Management organized sections, and menu items to be delivered as according to instructions from General Manager and Corporate office. Management was typically easy to work with. My co-workers worked at a rapid pace, those who fell behind often did not stay employed, those who could work faster and still please guests were sometimes rewarded, most times were given larger sections of guests to handle.

The hardest part of the job was consolidating my own tasks, in conjunction with the quick-changing environments of the co-workers sections and address everybody's needs in a timely manner.

The most enjoyable part of the job was keeping guests happy as we were instructed, and generating larger invoices than the consumer originally intended to spend while keeping a smile on everybodys face. Doing this through proper sales techniques typically generated larger tips/income.

One thing about working for the Pappas brothers is the atmosphere. The company itself is based on working together and creating amiable and care-free environment for their guests. They really focus on working together as a staff whether its sponsoring a run for ending hunger organizations, helping with school supplies for young kids, or raising money for a great cause. They are a great company to work for. I grew up working for them and have learned so many skills that I still use every day. 
A typical day would consists of staff meetings before and after shifts to discuss menu items, drinks, and promotional items depending on the season. Once the shift starts, it usually is a rush of people that come in for lunch, but the way we are trained is to help your neighbors whether its doing a quick greet, refilling drinks, or bringing food out. As long as they are working as a team, the day goes by smoothly. Now don't take it as because we have rushes of people come in that the service is poor, it's not. We go above and beyond to make sure a guests feels at ease knowing we got them covered. We follow the procedures we are trained on for allergies, alcohol consumption, and even offer a gluten free menu. They definitely try to abide by every guests needs, which in turn can bring more guests. 
Overall, I can say with great pride that working for Pappas companies have made a positive impact for me.

A day on the bar top includes verifying a bank, verifying monetized gift cards and then a review of out of stock items. Then a trip through the kitchen to see what items we want to push and the items we are out of. Horseshoe shaped bar with me at the head, providing 270 degrees of service. 

Learned about classic cocktails, beers and wines. Constantly moving and executing different parts of service simultaneously ( Greet, Order, Follow Up, Clean/reset) 

Management was good because we kept an open line of communication to prevent little problems from becoming big ones.

My co-workers were great as well, some of whom I personally recruited to work behind the bar. Bar-backs were dependable, and on occasion I would help them shuck oysters whenever orders piled up

I worked service bar every Saturday night for over two years, definitely the hard part multi tasking drinks, answering questions about drinks to servers, all while getting drinks out in a timely manner, which I enjoyed seeing a chaotic situation become controllable under my watch.

Most enjoyable part was becoming someone clients and comrades could count on at anytime for almost anything. I liked it over there.

I poured my heart and soul into Pappadeux seafood kitchen. I worked at the grapevine location for approx. 9 months. I had made great relationships with the staff and managers, and was under the impression that i was not expendable what-so-ever. Infact I was under the impression that I was my GMs favorite employee!! anyways, throughout the time I was there I had worked hard enough to finally secure a spot as a bartender. Until one day, i walk in and the GM sits me down. Before i could even open my mouth she said "I've decided to terminate your employment because you have 5 write ups, we have a reference program you can call. Have a nice day(sarcastically)" Keep in mind I have a co-worker with over 80 write ups!! The managers will tell you, oh don't worry about write ups, no one ever gets truly in trouble for them yet they still continue to give everyone that works there write ups. What is messed up is that is the type of management the enforce. Constantly writing everyone up so they have a legal reason to fire anyone. If you come work here, you will have no job security and management will deceive you to make you think everything is okay when truly they're waiting for you to mess up so they can pull out those write ups.

A typical day at work at pappadeauxs for a server would be pretty simple, you'd think. But not at this place. Servers were required to show up extra early dressed in full uniforms to  talk about the specials for the day and prepare on how to present them to the customer so that we can try to sell as many of the plates as possible. Also had to make sure the sugars, salt and pepper shakers, and sweet and lows were set on the table in a specific way. Then the typical server duties would sort of just fall in place after that. I learned how to be extremely patient with the guest and how to stay calm if a guest has a horrible attitude or is just snoby. I learned how to become fluent in the art of small talk and how to manage a few extra bucks out of them for a tip. Workplace culture was enjoyable, with little to no problems with other employees. Hardest part of the job was learning to stay calm and just taking whatever the guest dishes out at me at that time. The most enjoyable part of the job was getting to be around all the food and cooks and watching how everything was made to perfection and getting to taste all of the food.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Host/hostess 73 salaries reported	$15.53 per hour
Dishwasher 72 salaries reported	$16.13 per hour
Cook 70 salaries reported	$19.16 per hour
Busser 72 salaries reported	$16.09 per hour
Prep cook 66 salaries reported	$16.85 per hour

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