cook

food service worker

caterer

sous chef

dishwasher

Restaurant Associates

The work days are always great, some times hectic. 

Each day can be a very new learning experience, from each other, managers, or clients and guests. Immediate managers are fantastic, upper management doesn't actually care about their staff, they only provide what they need to as a public image. 

Work place culture is based on lying to the clients in terms of; how our days go, what we go through, what our industry is like, what our company has told us about the clients and their needs. becoming friends with the clients opened my eyes on what they actually care about. 

The hardest part of the job may be making enough food to feed the clients when being shorted food product. 

Meeting guests and clients on daily basis. becoming friends with them and remembering their favorite things to enjoy. Learning what their day is like, what they go through, what their schedules are like and giving them appropriate snacks or meals based on their individual needs. 

Becoming people's favorite chef and building a following is always so rewarding. Going to a new cafe and making a whole long list of new friends and immediately getting highly rated reviews reminds me that people do care about the quality of their hospitality experience. 

Side Notes:
Upper management does not hire enough employees to service the ever growing number of guests and clients coming in on a daily basis. They try to pinch their pennies by having a smaller work force. This puts a strain on those working there and we loose good people to this process. With less staff some things start to become less important and get over looked. They don't consider the possibility of loosing the contract with our client.

My day typically begins with a high profile meeting involving Senior management. Requiring discretion, punctuality, and heavy attention to details. It is imperative that I maintain discretion of the meeting details, while keeping staff informed. Preserving confidentiality, heavy communication, and time management play a crucial role the success of the event. It is my duty to ensure that all arrangements are adhered to, all parties involved are aware of their tasks and that they follow instructions. It is important that I give clear and concise instructions in order to avoid conflicts. In an effort to achieve maximum client satisfaction I must allocate my resources, and staff properly in order to achieve a smooth, successful event. I am also required to evaluate staff performance, and evaluate event outcome.
This position taught me that there are many elements to being a successful manager. Proper event preparation, time management, conflict resolution,knowledge of the business structure, and good communication skills. Senior management is always available should you require assistance. Coworkers can be very helpful when knowledgeable. The hardest part of the job is the seasonal peak times. It can extremely busy and vice versa. The most enjoyable is the flexibilty. You create your schedule.

I will have to take some responsibility in the present state of what I think of the company but wholly, I am not one hundred percent happy. I am working now with my second Executive Chef, he and I do not see things in a like manner. I am working on this but I do know that being on the overnights for fours years now is having a major affect on me physically, emotionally as well as mentally. To clear that last word usage up. I mean I am not very happy because don't have to energy to cope with things that seem to be unfair. It is also damaging my family life which I miss so much. I have made mistakes but I have also owned up to them as well. I would like to say more but to do so is to complain. I well stop now. Much of what I do I production for the next breakfast and lunch service. The new chef sees that my work load is not much so now I do much of the cleaning along with the second shift chef. I will say that I am being challenged by the new chef and this I like, a little. The way in which he approaches is off putting to most. I let much of the way he speaks slide past so I do not react to quickly. Many of my co-workers are friendly people but others aren't true to their word. The hardest part is coming in to a kitchen that I have to clean when many things should have been handled sixteen hours before my next shift. One of the true thing I enjoy is the quiet of working at night but I am really to leave.

So, for my needs, RA was great.  I was an actor looking for well paid part time work that allowed me time off for auditions.  So, that's what it was.  I worked when I wanted and how I wanted.  They have strict "being on time" standards and grooming standards, so I think as long as you can deal with that, you're fine.  I didn't care because it was a requirement so I just did it.  I showed up when I was supposed to, I did what was asked of me, etc.  My good managers knew I was dependable and gave me additional responsibilities which I appreciated.  I liked my co-workers for the most part.  Folks usually were good matured and had fun at work.  I think the big thing is its not consistent work.  Certain times of the year there would be NOTHING, like you'd make maybe 85$ a week.  So, I couldn't pay bills on that.  I also felt like, since I was a good and hard worker, I wanted more recognition and advancement, and I didn't feel like that was available to me.  I had managers who appreciate what I did very much, and that's nice, but it would have been nice if the big bosses in the office would have provided me an opportunity to earn more income, and give me more responsibility.  I would have stayed with the company of that had happened.

good company, The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, outside weather conditions, extreme cold, extreme heat, risk of electrical shock, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually very loud.

All employees are responsible for maintaining a hazard free environment for themselves and our customers. All employees are required to wear personal protective equipment (goggles or eyewear, gloves and aprons) when handling chemicals or other hazardous substance or when assisting in first aid.

Employees may be required to use certain mechanical, electric, sharp, heat producing, and other potentially dangerous equipment while performing job responsibilities. Employees will be instructed in the proper use, function and maintenance of all kitchen related equipment. See your supervisor for specific training procedures.

Although, the hours tend to be long working was never a dull. Everyday was something different and someone new to work with. This is a great job to start out with, it is filled with young adults around the same age all going to school. Which made it easy to get along. The job is full or organized events that take place all through out the year. Between big parties and small everything is planned out. A typical day would be coming in two hours before a small party or three to four hours before a large party. Making sure everything is polished and ready to be set. Then when it is time the room would get set and the guess would arrive. Normally the first hour would be passing drinks and then the guess would sit to eat. After serving a three course meal the guess would stay awhile than leave. The parties would last for about four hours. After it ends, we would clean up and go home.
Coworkers were always easy to get along with and it was like having a family at work. The mangers were respectful to their employees. The hardest part of the job would be when I would get done really late and have to be back really early. What I have learned most is that hospitality is a demanding job and not the easiest.

Restaurant Associates is a leading food service provider renowned for its commitment to excellence and innovation. With decades of experience, they are known for delivering exceptional dining experiences across corporate offices, museums, and cultural institutions. Their attention to detail, from sourcing the finest ingredients to crafting creative, flavorful dishes, sets them apart in the industry.

A key strength of Restaurant Associates is their dedication to sustainability. They prioritize farm-to-table practices and support local farmers, ensuring fresh, responsibly sourced food for their customers. Their team of talented chefs is constantly pushing culinary boundaries, offering menus that are both diverse and delicious.

Customer service is another standout feature. Restaurant Associates focuses on creating personalized experiences, paying close attention to guests' preferences and needs. Their team’s professionalism and passion for hospitality make every dining occasion memorable. This combination of high-quality cuisine, sustainability, and top-notch service makes Restaurant Associates a top choice in food service.

At Longwood Gardens the beauty is not missed.  This Restaurant Associates location has an amazing team of career professionals doing their best and enjoying it.   Overall I can say this is probably one of, if not the best job I've ever had.  It was an honor to work with this dedicated team of people.  They navigated Covid very well and followed all procedures necessary to provide the members and visitors with the best sanitary dining environment.  The management team I miss the most.  When you work for such amazing people, the energy just carries and flows through everyone into their work.  They really had my back.  I wish I didn't decide to relocate for its was an honor to be a part of something so big and beautiful.  I wish them the best of luck with the new restaurant coming soon.  They'll nail it!  

Working with restaurant associates has helped me grow as an individual but as well as a professional level. Being a cashier meant interacting with customers everyday all day. This helped me build my confidence in building relationships with our customers as well as clients. I began to understand their needs and provide them with what they wanted before they can even ask. This was good for business because their transactions would not take long, we also knew our customers well enough to know what they wanted. My co-workers helped me improve with my patience as well as being able to become a team player in any environment I might find myself in. The hardest part of the job was leaving. I would have been more productive in a more challenging position. The most enjoyable part of the job was meeting new people and being able to turn someone's day around with a smile so that they'll be able to return the next day.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The benefits from working here are great and I genuinely appreciate some people from
corporate. Do I think they can be harsh? Yeah, but again, it's at a corporate job/agenda (that they push at any level). 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Nothing's really that stressful, however my onsite management is a mess. So, they make it incredibly difficult to just get stuff done and it be adequately regarded/recognized by those that matter (ie, supervisors, higher-ups). 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Competitive but friendly, mixed bag of people that can be great (or not so much), and sometimes meticulous and tedious at times. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Set up within 30 minutes, but for the newness of the restaurant, it has been painfully slow for 3 hours. So boring. But when it's busy, its fun.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cook 6 salaries reported	$20.60 per hour
Food service worker 67 salaries reported	$30.00 per hour
Caterer 6 salaries reported	$23.60 per hour
Sous chef 6 salaries reported	$78,643 per year
Dishwasher 8 salaries reported	$24.29 per hour

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