line cook

assistant restaurant manager

food service worker

cashier

shift manager

SSP Group

I worked with SSP for nearly 3 years, a lot of which was a nightmare.
When I first started there, the manager took a disliking to me and I had to endure over a year of bullying behaviour from her and made me truly hate my job. I have been assured that she has done this on many occasions and must always have someone to bully. After bringing this to the attention of senior management unfortunately nothing was done other that I was moved to a different unit which I requested. The manager at this unit was an absolute star though. Even though I have since left the company it was brought to my attention that my previous manager still tries to tell lies about me. 
Both units had inadequate heating/cooling. First unit had no heating, second one had small ones on the floor that made a good attempt at warming your knees up but would break down if you stood too close or turned them up too much. Winters were so cold that you had to wrap up in many layers to stop yourself from freezing to death. 
You receive shirts and a jacket as part of your uniform but no thermal clothing despite being in a unit with an open front meaning you're exposed to all weather. 
The company is constantly trying to save money by cutting hours. At one point I was working 40+ hours, by the time I left I was down to 20. 
There is training to advance in your job but unfortunately the area manager refused to allow anyone to actually be promoted after this training. However you may find yourself doing everything for the role you were trained for anyway.
Hours can be ridiculous, when joining the company I was told the earliest start would be 6AM. I have had to start work at 4:30AM at times. 
You do get to meet some great people while working there, with the exception of my first manager everyone was brilliant. 
You earned minimum wage but there was a 50p bonus scheme which you could earn by hitting sales targets. Unfortunately it was pretty hard to hit and usually we didn't get it. 
You do get a free meal for working 6 hours or more and a 20 minute break. It is just a sandwich and a packet of crisps and there's really no healthy options available but it's more than some places offer. 
There was a lot of lone working and it could get lonely. With the hour cuts you saw less and less of your colleagues who were one of the few perks of the job. 
Overall I would never recommend anyone work for SSP as I've found due to management it's a horrible place to work for. If they really cared about their staff (especially concerning winter and lack of heating) and did more for them then it would be an OK place to work. 

I'm very stressed out. I've been scheduled to work full time though I specified I could only work part time. As a result, I am often very stressed out, and this job causes me a great deal of anxiety and restless nights. Furthermore, I don't seem to have a life outside of this job, as I just devote my time to going to work now.

Also, management is quite toxic, and they're pretty condescending and rude. I get that they're overworked, but why take it out on us? And my coworkers are a bunch of backstabbing lemmings who will throw anyone under the bus just to further their own personal gain.

A typical day at work will include me manning the cashier by myself, and prepping to go orders, all the while helping the servers at our restaurant, and having to manage both fronts at once. And I do this while the servers grumble about me and lecture me for small mistakes, while they get all the tips and I get mere pittances from them. In addition to this, I also have to perform various side tasks, ranging from running orders to the bar, filling up cups with ketchup and other condiments, pulling out tickets for orders, sweeping, folding napkins, restocking, etc. and so forth.

The hardest part of my job is not having to perform all of this for minimum wage. It's having to do it full time, though I specified I can only work part-time. The job cuts away into my social life and as a result of this, I've decided to leave. And when I do leave, I will only have been there for one month. This job drains my soul and takes a toll on me physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The only enjoyable thing about it is like, I get free coffee and some of my coworkers and managers are nice. Plus interacting with the public allows me to meet and interact with a variety of people, some of whom are grateful for your service, and are really kind to me as well.  

However, all of this is outweighed by the bad. Which leads me to my next point. What's the one thing I've learned from this job? Why, it's quite simple. It's that this is not a good place to work at. Get out of it while you can, lest you want this place to erode away at you too. Use SSP as a mere stepping stone to other things, and for the love of God, do not use plan to stay here for long. Otherwise you'll end up as stressed out and upset as I am (not to mention the job doesn't have much room for advancement either).

I recently had the unfortunate experience of working at SSP America, and I feel compelled to share my thoughts on their company culture and management practices. As an employee in the service industry, I had high hopes for a positive work environment, but sadly, SSP America fell far short of my expectations.

One of the most significant issues I encountered during my time with SSP America was the toxic work environment. It seemed that negativity and animosity permeated the atmosphere, making it difficult to feel motivated or appreciated. The constant presence of tension and hostility among employees created a stressful and unproductive environment.

Furthermore, the poor management at SSP America only exacerbated these problems. It was clear that the higher-ups did not prioritize creating a supportive and inclusive workplace. Instead, there was a lack of effective communication, inadequate training, and a general disregard for employee well-being. This not only hindered productivity but also led to a high turnover rate, as many fellow colleagues felt undervalued and unappreciated.

Perhaps most concerning was the prevalence of bad attitudes among employees. This negative mindset seemed to stem from the lack of proper leadership and guidance from management. Instead of fostering a culture of teamwork and camaraderie, there was a prevailing sense of complacency and indifference towards customer service.

While I understand that every workplace can have its challenges, SSP America's toxic work environment, poor management, and the pervasive bad attitudes create an unsustainable and unsatisfying experience for employees.

I sincerely hope that SSP America takes the necessary steps to address these issues and improve their company culture. A positive work environment and effective management are crucial for the success and happiness of both employees and customers alike.

In conclusion, my time at SSP America was marred by a toxic work environment, poor management, and pervasive bad attitudes. I would caution anyone considering employment with this company to carefully evaluate their options before committing to such an unsatisfactory work experience.


There is so much work to do, and not enough help. I started as utility helping out 3 locations in one spot. The servers vary, but for the most part you are treated like trash by them. They will not scrape off the trash from their plates that they've ordered from the kitchen. They believe that is your job and will not be bothered with that task.

The managers were a mixed bag. The are individuals there that will make sure you take your breaks and that your effort is validated. There are individuals who believe that they are paid to be babysitters, with no grasp of what is going on in their environment and are a detriment to your daily work life. I've met great people, and people that remind me that some of us only care about having power, with no real insight on how to use it to help.

After moving to another location serving only one restaurant, I learned the true meaning of working for SSP and that is selfishness. This is a full restaurant, with one large kitchen. I came in believing I was working with adults and I was proven wrong. My managers are fantastic, the kitchen is amazing, the bartenders and the servers are the most entitled, lazy bunch I have ever seen in my life. Apparently it is wrong to ask the servers to not throw the silverware into buckets to avoid splashing because they will throw fits. Actual efforts to make the work environment simpler on whoever is working the dish pit has been met with resistance. The bartenders will do half of their job, they serve drinks. 
Nevermind the food that they've ordered for their customers, the trash cans near them serve no purpose, you might as well have served that food yourself because it's your job to throw it out  Things have been made so simple for them, they take it as an insult that you ask to be fairly compensated for throwing their trash out, scraping the food off of their plates, and making sure that their bus tubs are empty

There is no system in which you will be compensated for helping anyone, but you have to. That being said, come work here if you want money, if you have no self-respect and are willing to do anything inside and outside of your job responsibilities to make complete strangers content.

During my interview, I was told that the work environment is very positive and the people are very nice. As it turns out, it isn’t- it was only a way for them to encourage me to join their company. When I started, I believed that this would be a great job, hopefully a way for me to grow as a person. However, the more I worked here, the less I want to be incorporated with this company. I have worked under numerous managers/supervisors and the ones here are down the list. My first day on the job, I was given very little training- only about an hour, until that manager left and went on about their day. They will throw you out there without any help and expect you to do your job properly. As a good employee with common sense, I had to pick up what I need to do by watching my coworkers and asking them questions. As I have spoken with my coworkers, they have also expressed many concerns regarding the management and lack of help from them. For example, some managers will just walk around, be on their phone, stay in the office, etc. I also want to mention about the schedule. There is only 1 main person that deals with the scheduling (they cover at least 5 stores in the Airport) and they are difficult to reason with.  I’ve asked to be part-time as I have things going on outside of my work life, yet they gave me an answer to either keep working with them or to leave. What kind of answer is that? I found it disrespectful as they weren’t willing to work with those who have a life outside. I already seen lots of people quit because they weren’t able to come to an agreement with management about the schedule and had to find another job. Really, the management here expect you to only have this job and not have anything else to do outside of work. 

I want to cut this short- overall, it is a decent job if you are willing to put effort into learning on your own and being professional about it. As much as I want to complain, it’s your own best opinion on your experience with this company. As long as you have a good work ethic and team work, you will do fine, but don’t expect the higher-ups to help you or accommodate for you. 

This is a good company to work for overall the compensation is below my desired wage and does not reciprocate the amount of labour I put in. Wages are set through negotiations between the company and the union so it's very hard to earn merit raises if you stand out for your hard work, as giving raises to the hardest workers would violate the pre-established contract already set in place for everyone. We get a 15 cent raise every couple months regardless of if you're an outstanding worker or an underachiever. That causes many good workers to quit and thus leads to a high turnover rate, also at time the job is very demanding which weeds out the slackers during our on season. The work life balance is fine for most people but for me it's disproportioned and that's my own fault for attaining a position where my boss and co-workers depend on me hella. This job is a great job to refine your work ethic because there is never an absence of activities to complete but then again that is the downside because no matter how hard you work your pay will top out at $13.00 an hour regardless. The only step after that is to become salaried and good luck if you have no degree, previous management experience or seniority within the company. During flex season they put their best players on the roster and you can potentially work 70, 80, 90 even 100+ hours a week during those peak seasons. The benefits are great after three months you qualify for vision, dental and medical which is deducted directly from each paycheck. After one year you earn up to two weeks of PTO. I made the best out of this job every single day and I've thrived so I can't really say anything bad about it just personally my food and work quality is superb, I've hit my head on the ceiling and now my time is worth more than . I respect my G.M. though and I can't leave him dry without someone good enough to replace me.

This company cannot keep things stocked. We were constantly running out of basic items such as hamburger buns, napkins, straws, all types of beer and alcohol, etc.. 

They moved to a QR code for ordering and took all menus away. Our guest had multiple problems trying to figure out how to use them and would subsequently order the wrong thing, not complete the order (leaving them with no food before they realized it too late), or just stand up and walk out. Me and a few other servers made menus with our own money and would give them to frustrated guests. The management took those away also. HELP YOUR STAFF AND GUESTS!!!
They couldn't/wouldn't  hire dishwashers as to help cut expenses.  Servers were expected to do dishes all day. I finally posted jobs for dishwashers, cooks, and prep cooks to try to bring us up to a full staff.
SSP hires poor management and allows quality employees to be let go.

I've been in the service industry for 20 years as a bartender and server. I've worked in fine dining for many of those years and know how to translate great service to these quick paced environments without sacrificing time or quality. This company could not care less about their guests or staff. They are only looking for the dollar.

Multiple times we couldn't even open our bar/restaurant because management would be late. Our micros system would crash and we would have to shut down for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. This left the employees standing around making no money.

I could go on and on. I would NEVER recommend working with this company. 

SSP America claims that “Passion” is at the core of its mission, but the only passion this company demonstrates is for overworking and undervaluing its employees. Management is completely disengaged, unaccountable, and rarely present in the units, forcing staff to wait excessive amounts of time for basic support—something that is completely unacceptable in a fast-paced airport environment where guests are on strict schedules.

Most of the management team has little to no experience in the service industry, meaning they are not only unhelpful but often actively in the way. They fail to provide necessary inventory and let broken equipment go unrepaired for months, creating both an OSHA and health department nightmare. Employees are forced to “make do” with what little they have, all while being held to impossibly high standards without receiving any appreciation or support.

This job was so stressful that I was forced to take a three-month mental health leave—the first time in my career that a workplace pushed me to that point. I’ve worked through breaks, on my days off, and through grueling 12-hour shifts without so much as a thank you. Instead of recognition, employees are met with criticism and blame. SSP America does not care about its staff; employees are treated as disposable cogs in a machine rather than human beings.

If you are considering working here, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. No job is worth this level of stress, mismanagement, and lack of basic respect.



This company as a whole has some good things but when you break it down to locations and such the one in Indy has serious problems. They are constantly out of things that are promoted on the menu not because they sell out as much as it's the lack of management getting the orders delivered or put in. Many times had to tell clients we were out of this or that and it's embarrassing to tell a customer not once not twice but three times what they were asking for was out.
They asked for first item then the second choice and third choice I had to tell them sorry. That is not a way to run a business. They kept an employee who was detrimental to moral and the team and created a hostile work environment. They ignored it and still do because they consider her a go getter. They allow things to build up till they explode in their face. They expect long hours of their staff to make the almighty dollar. They have staff working open to close with no set time to leave which constitutes 12 hr minimum days. Working 4 to 5 days a week.
Have people doing the job of three people and paying for one. Many times I had to play server/bartender and cook at one time. It's sadly run by people who refuse to address the issues and rectify them. They pretend to listen or care but when it's all said and done they don't.
If you don't mind the issues and the constant drama then by all means you have a home there. The money is very good but the sometimes money isn't enough for your sanity... 

I’ve previously worked at SSP America (Seattle airport), and while the company itself isn’t the worst, there are some serious issues that affect the day-to-day experience. The biggest problem lies in upper management like some people holding titles like “People Leader” don’t seem to fulfill their roles with the professionalism and accountability that title demands. There’s a lack of genuine support for frontline employees like bartenders, servers, and food service workers.

Another major issue is micromanagement from certain assistant managers. The workplace often feels toxic and condescending, with some managers treating staff as if they’re not capable adults. This creates an uncomfortable and demoralizing environment for those just trying to do their jobs.

Requesting time off is also unnecessarily difficult for hourly staff. Meanwhile, upper management seems to take PTO or various leaves with ease and regularity. This double standard is frustrating and discouraging. On top of that, the pay isn’t always accurate, which adds stress and frustration to an already demanding job.

It’s not surprising that the company is constantly hiring—turnover is high because the work environment isn’t sustainable for many. I wouldn’t personally recommend SSP America unless there are serious changes in how management supports and respects its employees.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Line cook 14 salaries reported	$19.92 per hour
Assistant restaurant manager 11 salaries reported	$61,009 per year
Food service worker 22 salaries reported	$19.47 per hour
Cashier 3 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Shift manager 6 salaries reported	$19.91 per hour

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