cook

shift leader

dishwasher

food preparation worker

attendant

Ponderosa Steakhouse

A typical day was atleast 8hrs 6 days a week. It depended on shift I would be working to figure out what I'd be doing when I arrived. If it was day shift I would arrive very early and first thing was set alarm then I would count safe as my employees arrived I would send them to there work space and fill them in on what needed to be done before we opened. After team had everything set I would go around and check there work space before I opened front doors. Our management team which was myself and another worked together to make sure Ponderosa would be a great place for our customers. We took turns week to week doing schedule and had inventory to do daily. At nite when I worked I had basically the same duties except a little more cleaning. I always came to work with a smile on my face leaving all other issues at home the customer was to always be made happy rather they right or wrong because at the end of the day thats who kept us in job without them coming we had nothing, no sales meant no check.

A typical day at work is your run-of-the-mill chain restaurant: busy during lunch and dinner hours and helping all types of customers. I learned that I did not want to work at a place like this again. The management was horrible. They knew the time-clock wasn't working, but they wouldn't fix it. They didn't pay me for the 22 hours of training I received (it was supposed to be minimum wage) and didn't ask their servers to claim their tips for tax purposes. The managers also wouldn't tell us when we could expect to take a break and they handed out horrible working hours. Many times, someone would have to cancel an appointment or miss a college class because the managers wouldn't take into account the previous scheduling conflicts we are encouraged to make aware in order to avoid situations that we were constantly facing. The managers also had a "if you miss a day, you're fired" attitude. All of the employees were miserable and it was a challenge to be cheerful to the customers when the work environment was such a negative one. I did not enjoy this job and I was relieved to put in my two-weeks' notice so that I could head back off to college at the end of the summer.

Almost all days was great at work, yes, I know that is hard to believe but I loved my job, my customers and most of all managers and other employees. The other waitresses there went out of their way to make sure you was okay if they seen you upset or see if you needed help if you looked too busy. The managers was always fun to talk to and even though they was strict and made us follow all work place procedures, we all got along very well. I learned to always smile because someone somewhere is having a worse day than you are so make all your customers feel very welcome and at ease. If running buffet always be sure to be stocked up on everything that the cold bar holds, saves less time running back and forth and also saves the customers from having to wait to be able to choose what foods they wanted off the bar to eat.

I loved working for Ponderosa.
On a typical day, I would be a supervisor. I would go in and open the store. That would include tasks such as, cash handling for the day, inputting amounts into the computer, placing produce or food orders, reviewing any big carry out orders for the day, reviewing the forecast to prepare the staff for what could be expected for business flow, helping with prepping food for the buffet for the day, and making sure everything was pre-rush ready.
Throughout the day I would deal with the daily operations of the restaurant, take care of anything a guest or employee needed. If someone called out- I would either find a replacement, or be the replacement for that shift.
I learned a lot about who I was and what I wanted to do while working for Ponderosa, the management team always worked together, and always backed each other up.
The people i worked with were the best. We were like a family.
The hardest part of the job- when the store closed and we all pitched in to clean the store out.
The best part of my job- the guests, and my coworkers!

Well,  I worked there over 10 years ago.  But it was hard work, but I enjoyed it.   I learned new recipes for salads, and desserts, and some decorating tips, while listening to rock and roll with the students I worked with.  Things were the hardest when a bus would come in, unexpectedly, and we had to move FAST! The other hard time was when you had one or more "lingerers".  They come in at 8:30 or after and even after we lock the door at 9:00 they never hurry even a little. Read newspapers, magazines, etc. We were not allowed to take down the salad bar and hot bar until ALL the customers were gone.  A good night we left by 9:30.  A rough night it could be 10:30  or after. Ugh.  The best part was the kids.  I worked in the evenings mostly.  I worked with people from 16 years to 30ish.  They were normally very good, entertaining too.  Our bosses were great also, they pitched in when needed, persuaded us to try new things, and played the 'guinea pig'.  Checks were always on time and never saw favoritism. Cheers to them!  Almost always went home dead tired and happy.

A typical day was coming in and starting your job. Typically gettin everything you need for the day, making food, counting drawers, and getting the silverware you needed. I learned how good it is to work as a team. I have always been a person to help others, but here, I learned how much someone can appreciate you doing things for them, and they are thankful. The management was excellent. They all knew their jobs and their roles as managers. When you needed help, they were always there to lend you a hand. They never complained about what they were in the middle of doing. They knew if they had to make you wait, it would make their job harder at the end of the night. The co-workers were just the same. They needed help, they would ask. Other than that, they handled everything on their own with exceptional customer care. The hardest part about the job was not trying to burn anything from being too busy. The most enjoyable part about the job was everything, even dealing with complaints.

Typical dining place to work for with great management. Training was lacking at times though as I was hired as cook/dishwasher, then when shorthanded at other jobs, was told, "oh, you are working here today" even though I hadn't been properly trained. But through hard work and a lot of questions, I was able to pick up the new responsibilities fairly quickly and ended up being scheduled for the different jobs as was needed.
For the most part, co-workers were ok to work with, as long as you could put up with the inappropriate comments and innuendos.
Hardest part of the job was being able to put up with the inappropriate comments and not "fly off the handle" at anyone. Also hardest part was seeing newer employees, after training, basically allowed to do as they pleased, yet employees that were there longer were held to a higher standard.
Most enjoyable part of the job was the customer interaction when I work a job where I was stuck back in the kitchen.

When working for this company I was always encouraged to work harder because they knew I could. I had the best boss ever who never let me down and always told me what a great job I did that day. I wouldn’t say there are any bad things. I had the best first job ever and I’m so sad to see them closing. I learned so much while working there especially that I have the potential to succeed in something. Everyone was so sweet and they were like my second family. The hardest part of the job was probably trying to keep up when we were busy sometimes it would stress me out and I would feel like I wasn’t good enough, but they would always reassure me. The most enjoyable part of the job had to be building relationships with everyone I worked with. I would rather be at work than at home most of the time. I had the best experience working at ponderosa.

I was trained as a cook then ultimately became the Hot/Cold buffet trainer where I would train, monitor and evaluate progress, give feedback, and reward positive habits. I learned the various skills involved with leading a team and supervising employees. Management was helpful in supporting my role as a trainer. The co-workers were generally great although sometimes a handful when acting in a supervisory position, especially when most of the employees were in high school. 

The hardest part of the job was pleasing customer under very demanding high volume times as well as keeping the team together to be able to meet goals. The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing all the hard work pay off and having a team come together to accomplish the most demanding of days.

Ponderosa was a great job to have during the summer, however, there were a lot of times I could not get hours. They hired people quite frequently, and because of this I got little to no hours the majority of the time. The management and my co-wrokers were great to work with, and for the most part everyone really acted as a great big team. A lot of my co-workers were willing to help with whatever needed to be done without question or hesitation. The hardest part of the job would have to have been keeping up with the salad and fruit bars on busy nights. Only one person worked both of the cold bars, so on busy nights you really had to be on top of your game. The best parts of the job were the great co-workers, and our boss. He was always out on the floor when we needed help, and he always complimented us on our work.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cook 3 salaries reported	$16.50 per hour
Shift leader 4 salaries reported	$17.13 per hour
Dishwasher 4 salaries reported	$10.50 per hour
Food preparation worker 5 salaries reported	$16.40 per hour
Attendant 4 salaries reported	$10.25 per hour

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