line cook

kitchen team member

culinary

prep cook

dishwasher

Postino WineCafe

As a line cook, the job itself is fairly easy and straightforward;  you prep the food, cook it, and sell it to customers while performing the daily prep tasks. It can become a bit repetitive. Some days are super chill and kinda boring, others are non-stop from bell to bell. It isn't as challenging to your culinary skills as it is frustrating and tedious at times. 

BOH management (EC and SC) are on point with everything in the kitchen, knowledgeable, very respectful, and responsive to resolving the BOH employee issues (scheduling, training, execution of duties, and giving assistance when needed). No issues there. The pay is okay for a line cook, and there are regular performance reviews based on a point-based matrix, which is cool. However, to advance to a salary position requires drinking a fair amount of the corporate Kool-Aid. Your pay as an hourly employee caps out until you start sippin'. The hours aren't enough for this to be your sole gig, as many of the other cooks have second jobs to supplement their income. The kitchen atmosphere is usually pretty laid-back, even when it's busy. The culinary team has a very team-oriented mindset, and everyone jumps in to help when you're in the weeds. Overall, great kitchen job.

The FOH staff has some really great people who make the job fun and shifts can really fly by, and there are also those who engage in some weird victim Olympics and occasionally go on power trips, which totally brings the vibe down. Some of the FOH management team and the "culture" of the company leaves much for want. Overall, my impression of and experience dealing with upper-level management has not been so positive. They come across as very corporately-scripted and disingenuous. To be fair, at some point you have to serve the Kool-Aid to others, so I get it. Also, conflict resolution between coworkers is a joke, as HR (called "The Culture Department") is needlessly over-utilized for petty or trivial grievances, oftentimes exacerbating an issue when a simple, mediated conversation at the lowest level could resolve the problem. 
One of the goals of the company is "make people feel good", and the customers definitely exploit this as much as is humanly possible. Be prepared for the rarest and most exotic food allergies on the planet, and to accommodate any and all very clear food preferences as "an extreme allergy". 
And if you're doing this, stop. 

Overall, it's not a bad spot to work. Okay pay, decent hours, cool co-workers, good snacks. I may update or delete this review if I change my opinion, get promoted, or get a call from the culture department, whichever comes first.

Pros: Pretty good money, awesome coworkers, Clientele is mostly great, management does well for the constraints that corporate imposes on them.

Cons:  Many things are clearly irreconcilable I believe due to competing interests at the corporate level; but it could be incompetence.  This is clear beginning with the training program; expectations are extremely high, which is great.  However time is not given to properly train and complete required modules as management is so worried about labor.  I actually completed my modules off the clock.  This is verbally discouraged by tacitly expected.   This theme runs throughout my experience.  The liquor and cocktail program is also a joke and seems to be the result of someone's pet project rather than following an actual concept let alone best practices in the industry.  Scheduling can be downright abusive.  Expect to be there past midnight and then there again the next morning at 9 some weeks.

All that being said this industry is pretty brutal and this place is pretty darn fun.  I have no intentions of leaving as it is very well organized in comparison to most restaurants/bars.

Working at Postino Wine Café is an incredible experience for anyone passionate about hospitality, great food, and wine culture. The environment is vibrant, welcoming, and fast-paced, making it an exciting place to work. The management team genuinely values their employees, offering consistent support and opportunities for growth within the company.

Teamwork is a core value at Postino, and the camaraderie among staff is palpable. Everyone works together to create memorable experiences for guests, and the sense of community extends beyond the workplace. Whether you’re serving guests or collaborating behind the scenes, the atmosphere is always upbeat and positive.

Another standout aspect is the emphasis on quality. From their curated wine selections to their creative menu offerings, the brand takes pride in delivering excellence. Employees have the chance to learn extensively about wine and food pairings, enhancing both their personal and professional skillsets.

If you’re looking for a job that combines passion, learning, and a supportive team culture, Postino Wine Café is a fantastic choice!

My time as a server at Postino was fantastic and I really enjoyed my co-workers and the food that we served. The money was solid even during slow seasons and the team service was better than most restaurants I’ve worked at. My biggest let down was the advancement opportunity and the lack of cohesion from the upper management team. Within one year of being open there have been 5 different store level managers that have come and gone. The overall training for all of these store leaders was inconsistent and caused a lot of disruption amongst the staff due to the changes in leadership every few months. It’s sad to see such a great concept begin to degrade due to lack of support from the corporate team but I fear the problems will only get worse as they continue to open new restaurants and continue to spread themselves thinner across the company. 

Postino is a corporate company that I genuinely believe started with great intentions but as it has grown has indirectly cultivated a toxic culture. The management I had there had a major turnover rate due to inappropriate behaviors and favoritism in scheduling. I wanted very much when I started there to grow with this company in bartending, sommelier education, and possibly management but the environment was not conducive to a positive mindset and I found myself feeling uncomfortable regularly with other team members and particularly management. Definitely very disappointing especially due to the intense expectations put on the employees to hold up the face of the company. 

i start my shift at work by opening up the restaurant and getting everything set up tables silver wear tea and coffee for the day and also to get the night crew ready success.

i learned how to be a better leader and to take charge as a leader.

management is amazing, easy to talk to, easy to work with management. And they are always there to back you up.  

my co-workers are super easy to work with, we all have fun and taking our job serious and communicate very well so that way we have a successful shift.

staying on top of your section and running food and drinks.

the most enjoyable part about my job is making the guest smile and knowing that they are coming back for another amazing time.

This is a run of the mill corporate restaurant job disguised in a carefree, fun loving, progressive culture. You will encounter plenty of toxicity, particularly from operational leads, while being subject to cult-like gaslighting techniques from execs. 

The work is scattered and unfocused. No one in the company wants to be in their current position. Everyone is climbing over everyone else to get to the top, so you will never establish a real sense of trust with your peers or your boss. 

If you’re looking to be cut-throat and climb the ladder, this might work for you, although the company is already closing locations and laying off staff. If you actually enjoy restaurant work and care for people, look elsewhere. 

It is a tip pool environment which has its advantages and disadvantages but overall the money was consistent and the coworkers were friendly. Only reason it’s not 1 star. Management, on the other hand, was very unprofessional and extremely inexperienced. Consistently sitting down, eating, on their phones in view of guests, never doing work related things. Prioritized minuscule tedious tasks as opposed to utilizing opportunities to future educate and cultivate their very inexperienced staff. And there were no repercussions for employees that did not or were incapable of holding their weight which is unacceptable, especially in a tip pooled dynamic. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The coworkers and the few managers but that's it

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The lack of patience and lack of compassion for cooking from the executive chef.No support or guidance. And the consistency of blaming everyone for everything but not accountability and quick to cut your hours instead of coaching you the right way.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Definitely mostly stress at it highest

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Running against the clas soon as you clock in and non stop

Postino's structure of scheduling and management, in conjunction with only hiring naive managers with little experience, encouraged nothing but nastiness between staff. Managers would pick their favorite servers of the week, and belittle anyone else. I would hear trash talking about others and myself often, and all of it was in the name of "performance-based scheduling" where favorites would get the best shifts with little sidework. Even being one of the favorites, I'm glad I left recently. I watched too many of my friends be tossed aside and ridiculed. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Line cook 144 salaries reported	$18.92 per hour
Kitchen team member 15 salaries reported	$18.40 per hour
Culinary 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Prep cook 64 salaries reported	$18.79 per hour
Dishwasher 103 salaries reported	$16.65 per hour

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