server

host/hostess

food runner

banquet server

bartender

Pinstripes

This job sounded pretty good at the start but it took about a week for me to realize that this is not a good working environment. Lower management are all just power hungry and just seem to like the idea of telling people what to do, upper management don’t even seem to care about anything but their next paycheck and what’s best for the company and the company alone. Management decides if whether the employees “deserve” to eat food or not depending on what kind of mood they are in and they are completely willing to punish the entire staff over something one person has done. They cut back on hours for staff that are paid more and don’t often give out raises even after 6 months to a year of working and will use any excuse such as long har/facial hair or even piercings that were given the go ahead during orientation, they also cut hours for workers that they just don’t get along with even if they are a hard and outgoing employee, lots of favoritism between certain workers and management and it’s based off of who can kiss up more not over who can actually do the job or not. Management will even make sure that someone will not reach 40 hours and will actually yell at and punish someone who has managed to reach 40 hours but more often than not they will send someone home if they  are nearing 40 hours. They put most of the working load onto their server assistants and just expect them to carry the weight of the whole restaurant. They have to buss tables, run food, clean up after the servers, do meaningless tasks for management and anything else that comes up. As a server will not make much in tips on any day other than some Saturday mornings and holidays. Speaking of holidays they have something called black out days and workers are NOT allowed to call out of these days, I personally had a funeral to attend to and management did not believe me that a family member had passed away and after many rude comments and juvenile attitude I was able to trade shifts with the one worker not already scheduled, but I got to go to a relatives funeral off luck? Not because of what happened? They work us like machines not so much as just people. The kitchen acts like they are a completely different entity from the front of house and even close and won’t wash dishes after closing sometimes even up to an hour before closing. The managers try to push for communication but they themself do not communicate and always lead to confusion and since they don’t communicate both front of house and back of house don’t always communicate and even the different positions in front of house don’t always talk to each other and then will lead to a bad experience for the different customers that come in.  I highly recommend to NOT work for this company, they are not beginner friendly for someone’s first job and the training isn’t always that good, luckily this wasn’t my first restaurant job so I knew what to do but when I was being trained my trainer was high the whole time and he was apparently one of the “best” workers in all positions. This isn’t even everything just what I can currently think of. So again I highly recommend to just keep looking if you come across this job listing! 

Pinstripes, as a guest, is pretty great. Pinstripes, as a server, I would never recommend. 

The back-to-back scheduling and the long hours are insane. People will not show up for their shifts and suddenly you’re the closer, without being asked. Not even a “can you do it?” They just change the map.

The restaurant doesn’t make its money from the dining room but from events, either. So, employees are moving super heavy furniture, setting up buffets, bringing plates and glasses up and down stairs, etc and we aren’t getting the service charge. We get a higher hourly rate but no direct payout from the service charge. If the guests leave “extra” we get that but that barely happens. And events can be one after the other so once one is done the managers are barking orders at us to get the room flipped for the next one. And you’ll have to set up for a next-day event even if you’re not scheduled to work it. And when there are events on the patio, after moving all the furniture we are literally sweating through our shirts. You wouldn’t want to be served by a sweaty employee.

As a server, you are “losing” money by working these events. It’s better to work the dining room but those shifts go to the “veterans” (aka manager favorites). There have been I’ve been scheduled to work the floor only to be moved to an event at the last minute because the manager “said so”.

The managers treat you like a replaceable machine. The veteran servers can show up late, disappear from the floor, not show up for shifts and they will still be scheduled for floor shifts. But, as a new server, if you question why that is management will pretty much tell you it’s because they’re in charge and they say so. And after covering for people who didn’t show up, moving room-ful of furniture, setting up for an event you’re not getting paid for, managers will still tell you to get back to work. 

And the managers are getting yelled at by their managers, too. Sometimes where we can hear it. So, if they’re getting treated poorly it’s no wonder why we’re treated no better. 

Absolutely the worst work environment I have ever been a part of. Big promises of "going public" and stock options at the beginning, with decent pay. They buy you lunch, make you feel like a part of a "growing company" and a large team across several states and then the magic wears off.

Sales office was the size of a closet. It was almost impossible to make sales calls because there are no walls between desks.

Non-stop Zoom - don't bother with new ideas. If you're not doing it the "Pinstripes Way," you're doing it wrong.

Work always comes home with you. They tell you that you don't have to work from home but then, if you aren't able to complete all of your daily tasks, of which there are many, work has to come home, so that you don't get a lecture the next day about how you are "under-performing." Crazy high expectations from senior level management.

Also, this company preaches "culture" and "integrity" - it has neither. The culture is like high school. There is no integrity. 

Thoughts:
- No HR department so no one feels safe going to anyone in upper management with concerns
- don't hire "leaders" that don't know how to lead or are dishonest and only looking out for their own interests
- be more open to new ideas respect those who have been in the industry with you for years
- pay mileage and get a company vehicle if you are truly going to make your catering program a successful one

Cons
See review.

Pinstripes in Oakbrook has now been open for ten years! The sales have continued to grow year over year through great customer service, outstanding food and the delivery of a quality dining and entertainment experience. Pinstripes is unique in many ways. We execute weddings, corporate functions, showers, birthday parties and many more special events all while simultaneously operating a very busy bistro and bar. Depending on your position you are trained to manage, serve, sell or cook for both private events and traditional restaurant service. Pinstripes provides a diverse education of a growing sector of the Hospitality industry. The culture has been the same from day one. The company is under the leadership of the Original Founder and CEO. This is very unique. Rarely do you find a company with the original founder running it after 16 years in business.  Every Chief and Regional has been with Pinstripes for 10+ years. They have helped establish a great work life balance for the Team Members at the store level. As a father of 3 young children, I am never worried about spending time with my kids or missing any of their big days because Pinstripes values our time outside of work. Having been with Pinstripes for 7 years I can say that I am proud to be a part of a growing company with so much potential. 



Only worked two day, Tuesday's and Wednesday's but would pick up shifts when in need of host's. 5 days of training. Started at 4 and would get cut either at 8 or 9. Didnt have an end time. Greeted people and helped them out. Sat customers down in the Bistro and bowling or bocce lanes. Took reservations. Gave customers bowling shoes. Answered any questions and information about our restaurant. Did bathroom checks, cleaned menu's, and would keep desk organized. Put games in the Vector. When private event would arrive i'd let manager who is taking care of the event know that they have arrived and i'd guide them to the right place. Got bowling and bocce reservations ready for the next day and also the events coming in for next day written down to put up on board. Said goodbye to the customers proper way. At first I loved going into work cause the Environment was great so i enjoyed sitting people down and helping them. Managers dont give host equality nor same respect and favorite others. They cut my hours for other employees. They tell you to tell them of any disrespect you feel about another team member but when you do so they complain and tell you to never go to them with that same problem.

I worked for this company for 1 year. after about 6 months I could tell this was not going to be a good fit for me. The upper corporate and management staff DOES NOT care about their employees. They are rude and mean and will cut you down any chance they get. In less than 2 years they have went through 3 GM's, 3 Marketing Coordinators, 2 Senior Event Managers, and 2 Catering Managers. The turn over is high because they do not treat you well

Want Vacation time?! GOODLUCK! you must work there for a year then they only give you 5 days...that you must use all together at one time. Also holidays...unless its Xmas plan to be working them 

Benefits are terrible. they only pay 50% of the lowest possible premium. Anything over that you pay. Even then the copay is $40 and then $60 for a specialist. The insurance they provide doesnt even cover your women's yearly exam. 

Also NEVER tell corporate the truth about anything...LIE! If you let them know about any mistreatment by upper management they immediately make you pay for it but bully you or firing you! Which they obviously don't have a HR department to manage this

I have worked for Pinstripes for many years. I've seen many management come and go. There are times when management is the best and set a bar that makes employees also do their best. When this happens it is an amazing place to work at. But, when new management comes in that is not as good... it shows in the employees. They get lazy and get too comfortable that they forget to act professionally. Employees and management. Overall, I had a good experience because I always made it clear that I am here to work, help create new memories with guests, and help when it is needed. It is important to be a team player because if you are falling behind there are amazing coworkers who help you! As long as you stick to what you are assigned to do, and help out then you should be fine! I did have times when I would talk to management for help or advice..I am not sure if they felt too comfortable with me but they didn't act as a manager at all. They were sarcastic, cussing (not towards me), and playing it off. I come to work to do what is expected of me while providing the best customer service I can provide not to play around. Don't be afraid to set boundaries! There is always time to goof off after work! The crew is amazing!

I thought this job was going to be a great place to learn and advance my career. Unfortunately I didn't feel that. Although my title was "Manager," I had no ability to make any decisions on my own, and had to report literally every move I made to my boss. Even CC'ing on emails. I had no autonomy, which is what I deserved in the job, and was very micromanaged. Not to mention my team felt constantly verbally abused by managers. Coworkers would talk behind each others backs, and management would talk down to employees, eventually driving them away. There were many gifts promised for birthdays and anniversaries that were never delivered. I do feel like I gained valuable experience, but when you are around others who don't appreciate you, you are in this mode of being very over-stressed, and that wears heavily on your quality of life. The worst part is we were expected to work while furloughed (answer emails, call clients, collect payments) which is extremely illegal, but theres no HR to report to. When I did report, I was told I was lying. 

If you are looking to make a lot of money serving I would not recommend here. There are a lot of better places in DC to go with higher checks and a better clientele. No shade to pinstripes but they run so many deals and promotions they attract a cheap clientele despite their Georgetown location. The company also makes sure to protect their profits by adding a 3% COVID surcharge to bills but won't protect employees by adding an 18% gratuity onto a large party's check. The good days here are just okay, but the bad days are really bad. I've worked in restaurants both casual and fine dining since I was 15 and a lot of management (not all) seemed really overwhelmed. They would also mess around with your schedule and cut you an hour into a shift. Your employees are there to work, make money, and pay their bills. I worked there for one month and saw every server except for 2 leave. You can do way better in Washington DC!!

If you are looking for a part time job as a server that receives high volume guests and large tip payouts, this is the job for you.

As for a full-time career with benefits, job security, and passion for what you are doing, I would steer clear.

Management can be overwhelming and highly critical. The standards are exceedingly high for getting paid $5/hour. There's no gratuity so if you have a large party of 20 individuals, make sure your service is 10/10 because otherwise you wasted your time.

If you are working large scale events such as weddings, bar mitzvas and business outings, it's good pay but highly stressful. You do a lot of manual labor and everything has to be done a certain way in a certain amount of time. I'd suggest event serving if you're not really interested in taking home daily tips but want a biweekly pay.

Overall, Pinstripes is a stepping stone for other careers such as hospitality. I would not stay there long-term.

P.S. They have no HR department so good luck with complaints.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Server 9 salaries reported	$10.87 per hour
Host/hostess 7 salaries reported	$16.79 per hour
Food runner 4 salaries reported	$14.50 per hour
Banquet server 2 salaries reported	$23.75 per hour
Bartender 4 salaries reported	$10.10 per hour

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