crew member

shift leader

team member

general manager

assistant manager

Penn Station East Coast Subs

I'm a general assistant manager at one of the locations. I've been there for two years now, and honestly it sucks. Management isn't provided any benefits, you really have no way to get a promotion higher than that, there are very few pay raises, and corporate's standards aren't always the most practical for the staff.

Most of the time, we have at least two people in our store - five at the most. We used to have six, but recent events have led to many people deciding that it's better to leave before the store actually closes. None of us see the location we currently work being open for anything more than a year - it would be an actual miracle if it was.

As said, corporate's standards aren't always practical - especially when you only have two people on staff and only one knows how to prep everything, but you can't do it because too many customers come in all at once and a friendly and quick service is what's demanded. Yes, fresh veggies, cheeses, and meats are nice - and they should be cut daily - but ridiculing staff for overprepping because they are nervous about not having enough is unreasonable and just plain stupid. 

Most staff in our location do not get many breaks - if any. For example, if you are working a 6 or 10 hour shift, you might get an 10 or 20 minute break, if you happen to get lucky. More than likely, you just get a discounted sandwich to take home with you. And maybe some old fries, if you over dropped. But that's it.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy spending my time with my coworkers - everyone gets along swimmingly - and we're super upbeat and friendly with everyone, even when things suck. Not one of us doesn't work our butts off duribg our shifts.

We struggle and we struggle HARD. With the way our particular store owner is, I don't see our location being open for another year.

As I said in the title, it's okay for a first job but I really wouldn't consider working for PS for more than a year. It's not worth it.

typical day at work ; I would clock in and wash up. Then put on gloves and get ready to take peoples orders on their dressings for sandwiches. Then make sure their order was complete and hand them their food. I would take my normal breaks. Then at the end of the night for closing we would sweep, mop, wipe down tables, package up the food, and wipe down the counter tops. Then the dishes would have to be washed and someone counted down the cash register. Then clock out and lock up the store.

What I learned. How to prepare certain sandwiches in a certain order for the perfect taste and make lemonade to perfection.

Management. Before we had management change, everyone enjoyed the manager. Schedules were done well, everything had a fun spirit, the people hired were hard workers. Management also had a hands on dealing with everything in store on a day to day bases so it is nice to have a manager that knows the store.

Co workers. Everyone did well working together up until management change and the certain hires became very selfish in not doing duties. Before that, everyone worked very well, it was a spirited atmosphere and everyone did their part. People did what was necessary and customers were kept happy.

Hardest part ; washing the dishes. It was a very long and heavy lifting job depending on the equipment and dishes needing washed. It was also hard to create sandwiches to customers liking after the management change and the menu change. Customers blame the first person they can and there is nothing you can do but apologize and try to make it better for them.

most enjoyable. I made friends at this job. It was easy, fun paced, the food was delicious, prices were great, and most of the time, our customers were fun too. It was the ideal restaurant job for a high school student.


In the course of my daily responsibilities, I have found myself worrying if my manager would be in a good or bad mood. If he had an attitude about doing the job he signed up for we would all have a bad day. A specific incident that exemplifies these challenges occurred when I switched shifts with a coworker. In this instance, I was reprimanded for not obtaining prior approval, which I was never told I needed to do. 

Furthermore, communication with the manager, primarily conducted through text, has proven to be inconsistent, with infrequent responses exacerbating the challenges associated with operational matters. Additionally, the absence of an online scheduling system has led to logistical difficulties, as schedules are printed last minute, requiring proactive measures to obtain the information in cases where one is not physically present on the day of posting.

Regrettably, these factors collectively contribute to a less-than-optimal work experience, where the absence of enjoyable aspects detracts from overall job satisfaction. Addressing these issues through a structured and constructive dialogue with management to establish transparent communication channels and standardized protocols is a priority, as it is crucial for fostering a positive work environment conducive to professional growth and fulfillment

I was offered to come in for an interview shortly after submitting my application, in which I felt good about the work environment and culture, but that feeling changed drastically within the first week. A person's time is the most valuable resource, in which when you work for a company you are trading one resource (your time) for another resource (money).  The general manager, at least at this location, will make a weekly schedule in which they require you to be there to work (typical). It was a constant problem when i would get a text message telling me not to come in to work that day because i was not needed.  I would also be scheduled for a 3-hour shift and still sent home early. I am one who does not like my most valuable resource to be wasted, and when I devote my time to abide by a weekly work schedule just for it to be called off the morning of or while I'm already there, I am not to happy. I could have put something actually productive on my schedule instead of anticipating being at work but left sitting at home. I was even told when talking to a shift manager that the GM should have never been hiring in the first place. I hope this information helps an applicant know exactly what they are getting into and save themselves from wasting their time.

customers where consistent throughout the day, depending on your stores location there were different kinds of people and vibes. Tuesdays were the most busiest days, especially at night because its family night, very fast paste, don't expect a break. I've learned how to work fast, and neatly. it also taught me patience, many different customers means many different attitudes. mangers worked with my school schedule, and practices. they usually gave me the hours i asked for if i asked at the beginning of every week. they have many different things you can do so you never have to do something you don't want, and usually on busy days, when its expected fast paste they put you were they feel is your strong suit. the hardest part of the job was nigh shifts, there were so many different managers, some who didn't are as much as others so some shifts were messy or out of control, but the most enjoyable is Tuesday nights, even though they are the busiest, thats when almost every one you work with are all on one shifts its usually a fun environment smiles from co-worker new families, and the families and customers we consider our "norms".

What is the best part of working at the company?
Can only give it three stars, simply because the company is a dead end job. They offer nothing for their employees, they pay you the bare minimum, and over work you, and there’s not really any room to grow in the company. It is a chill environment, loved my co workers, but it’s a great job for kids in school or someone working part time through college. This job is not something to invest a lot of time into, because they really don’t invest anything in you. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The pay. It sucks. The most stressful thing I can imagine, is the lack of opportunity and no benefits 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Laid back, and chill. Very do what you want as long as you do your job. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day is, go in at 11, clock in, do great for the first part while you have the help. After lunch rush your help begins to clock out and go home, after about 4 or 5 usually left with 3 people on the line. Understaffed, over worked. Usually no time for breaks if you don’t take a break while the GM or other help is there. Fast paced environment for sure

I love working at Penn Station!  The environment is laid back, yet we are constantly moving to prepare food, clean, and serve customers.  The atmosphere is a bit loud because we shout out fresh cut fry orders and sandwiches, which is a part of the showmanship that is our brand.  
I manage a team of 2-5 employees to run the restaurant.  
During my shift I am responsible for the entire store, delegating employee positions to achieve maximum efficiency, training crew in new positions and coaching on protocol when needed.  There are many hands on parts of the position, grilling sandwiches, taking orders, taking money, slicing meats, cheeses, and veggies, and many cleaning tasks ranging from sweeping and mopping, wiping down counters and tables, and doing detailed cleaning tasks.  My major focus however, is on the customers.  I handle any complaint quickly and politely, and always satisfy the customer.  My goal every day is that the person walking through the front door feels welcome and at home.  Learning the names and orders of regulars also cements customer service, and is what I practice.

A typical day at Penn Station is coming in and going through the procedures of washing your hands and putting on your apron; after it was time to fill in whatever position was open, such as register or grill, and begin helping with whatever needed to be done. As this was my first job I mostly learned to management skills and learning how to work together all the while encouraging employees to be productive under not to so preferred circumstances such as impatient customers who've had a bad day. Management was not always available for help. The work place culture was kind of that of highschool where we were all teen age girls who formed friendships but of course had our moments and issues we always ended up working out. The hardest part was being thrown into unfamiliar territory with strange issues to figure out on your own such as the fryer grease boiling over and onto the floor or a pipe burst that you had to safely handle while taking care of customers orders with a line to the door. The most enjoyable part was the fact that although we had our moments where we disagreed I came in to a pretty friendly and supportive staff.

As I approach 18 years this summer, I think of where else I would like to work. My bosses, the owner too, have been great to me. I have had hard times staffing over the years, as anyone else, but with support and my own perseverance, I have been very fortunate. Our owner cares, as he has done the same job in the past, (I have a picture of him washing dishes in my store). Our OD pushes us to better ourselves, he can be hard on us, but it makes us better. Compensation is pretty good but you better be willing to work for it. You get what you put in. Hours are around 50-55 and working 5-6 days per week if you are staffed with employees and management which are your responsibility after you get out of training. Also, the culture of your location is mostly dependent on you and those working for you. You create your own environment. Vacation tier and bonus tier increase as you continue your employment but I’ve managed to travel many times over the years. Work hard, play hard. 

I would recommend Penn Station East Coast Subs to any student (high school or college) that is looking for a temporary good job.
The pay is better than minimum wage starting out and advancement opportunities are better than other fast food competitors. They are less stressful than their fast food competitors as well.

Typical Day At Work - Prepare grilled subs, provide great customer service, clean work areas.
What I Learned - Personally I gained more management experience and learned how to deal with coworkers and customer complaints.
Management - Advancement is decent for food business. Most managers are always helpful and will never leave the crew untrained or unprepared for the day.
Workplace Culture - Very Friendly. Much better overall morale than other food competitors.
Hardest part of the job - Employee Retention
Most enjoyable part of the job - Discount on food.. and its great food.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Crew member 198 salaries reported	$13.30 per hour
Shift leader 76 salaries reported	$14.82 per hour
Team member 63 salaries reported	$13.02 per hour
General manager 43 salaries reported	$62,567 per year
Assistant manager 27 salaries reported	$42,056 per year

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