server

bartender

maintenance person

dishwasher

prep cook

Sweetwater-Tavern

To say that working for GAR is a nightmare is an understatement. 

Work/Life Balance:
It was borderline impossible to get any shift covered working here. Even when you have extensive notice for vacations or plans, it was a matter of whether or not another hostess wanted to cover for you and most times, they refused but expected you to pick up their shifts with no issue. Management could be helpful sometimes when coming up with a deal so that you could get a day off, but they’ll usually forget and call you day of wondering where you are and have even gotten aggressive to employees about it. I got COVID while working there and the lead host and management still tried to get me to work. There were also times where I was asked on several occasions to work a double on holidays, even when I expressed I had plans after my shift. They even tried to keep me there after my shift ended the same day because “they wanted to help me make extra money”, which was obviously not the case. They took advantage of the fact that I really needed money and tried to prey on me because of it. 

Work Environment:
There was SO MUCH drama at the Host stand and unless you were friends with popular hosts, you were usually excluded and made to feel like you weren’t welcome. Servers were usually super nice people and if you don’t make friends with hosts, usually you’ll make friends with the super nice servers. Management was also pretty terrible except for one I had while I worked there that was extremely supportive of me and helped me out on several occasions. The rest were unsupportive, childish, and had a ton of favoritism. There were cases where they yelled at hosts and servers and treated them like they were children when it was unwarranted. You were treated like a body, they kept track of all of your mistakes and even if you were the perfect employee when it came to reviews, depending on who did your performance review, there was likely no chance you will receive a raise. Also, they intentionally don’t hire male hosts so don’t expect to be hired if you’re male or male presenting and you’re hired based on looks as well. 

Customer Interactions;
Customers are usually older crowds and very old fashioned people. Expect at least one customer a shift to make your job extremely difficult. They could be extremely rude, entitled and even yell at you for things completely out of your control. Even when you make management involved, they will make you seem incompetent or expect you to ignore company policy. Overall, expect them to reward bad behavior over and over so that these bad customers come back. As a Host, there were times when I was sexually harassed by customers and nothing was done. 

Dress Code: 
The dress code for hosts was SO strict. You couldn’t have unnaturally colored hair, any piercings other than normal lobe piercings and they require makeup. I paid $200 for my uniform. Shirts were $45 each, they fully expect you to dry clean it after ever shift and you had to buy pants that were bootcut and in a wash that is extremely difficult to find in women’s jeans. When I couldn’t find the right wash in bootcut jeans, my management bought me some that were intentionally made to make me look curvaceous, which felt extremely uncomfortable. You also have to buy a belt, black dress socks and black leather non-slip shoes. They have to be approved or management will be aggressive and even potentially fire you, even if you can’t find these things. You cannot come to work in your uniform and are expected to arrive 15 minutes early before your shift starts to change in the back in an open locker area and there was a server who was creepy about girls changing in the back. You had to bring two shirts if you were working a double as well. 

There are very few positives I have for this restaurant except for the one manager I really liked, some nice servers who treated you like family and an hour long lunch between doubles. In summary, I would never recommend working for this restaurant and this company to anyone and people I’ve spoken to at other jobs do not walk away from this company saying they miss it. It was my first job and I am honestly traumatized with how horribly I was treated and how burnt out I became after working here. Please work anywhere else but here. 

While it is a fast paced and straightforward job, there are times where managers will change your schedule without consulting you first and at busier days it can be highly stressful. You're very prone to burning out unless you're that committed to the pay. Servers don't get tipped handsomely on most days which are weekdays, food runners quit very easily due to poor treatment, hostesses are usually seasonal but get stressed easily from social situations and lack of benefits from needing time off, and that's all I know from personal experience working there. The work environment could be a lot worse at other jobs, so I'll give it to sweetwater for trying their best to keep their employees as happy as they can. However they often fail to provide employees the balance between work life and personal life, especially when employees request breaks or vacation times so they're highly work oriented. Sometimes authority can come off as hostile towards employees or very nitpicky, especially about appearances and have strict standards. They even keep notes of every employee's mistakes, documenting these to contribute to the ratings of each employee. The managers are flexible about what position you want to take at the restaurant, but some positions, like servers, may start off as hosts or food runners first before becoming servers, which may take weeks to months. Some do become servers on the spot but others must work as another position first. However, they will reach out to you as soon as you apply so if you want to work for one of the GAR restaurants then getting an interview as soon as you can won't be an issue. Overall, I believe that working for GAR is good for short term, or long term if you truly want to work in the restaurant industry, but keep in mind that their policies are strict and they won't easily let you go on breaks or give you flexible schedules. Also you have to pay for your own uniforms and depending on the job it can range from 30-100$.

Typical Day at work- I am a tiger (food runner). My shift is usually 4-6 hours long. From when I am there until I leave, I am literally always doing something. Whether its running food, or other various tasks like sweeping, cleaning dishes, refilling condiments, or cleaning the bathrooms, my hands are always full. 

Management- For the most part, the managers are pretty nice and personable. There are a few that are always uptight and stressed so they are pretty stern.

Overall-  Being a tiger isn't that bad as long as you are ready to come to work everyday with a smile on your face. Most of the people who work there are cool so work is somewhat enjoyable and you are always busy so time goes by pretty quickly.

I loved serving at Sweetwater In sterling, their management team is on point. Only problems I had were there is so much side work you don’t end up getting out of the building until 11pm-12am. You have to arrive 15 minutes ahead so you can change, you need to have your uniform dry cleaned and starched which was crazy because you could walk out of the building only making 10 dollars in a morning shift and still have to re dry clean your uniform after! It gives you good experience like teamwork skills, communication skills, cleanliness, ability to work in a fast pace environment and ability to manage hostile people. Overall was a good experience and I’m grateful for the skills I gained from working there. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Good for short term. Great managers and nice kitchen staff. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Weekend nights and Friday nights tend to get super stressful. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
People are very close. However some people tend to be very standoffish but most of the time, it’s a good environment 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
In the mornings, calm and basic with everyone doing their own thing. Nights tend to be more lively and high volume.

They dont care about their staff or their wellbeing, dont check up on employees. Have favoritism when it comes to staff, Managers would literally talk bad about us when we were right next to them saying we did not do anything when Hosts are literally the ones keeping the place together and literally bussing tables and helping every other position. I have had manager (DAVE)  yell at me in front of guests like full on yelling and honestly that was so unprofessional because you should always reprimand in private. They do not appreciate hosts

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working for sweetwater 3yrs is a great experience because you are joining a team who enjoys making their customers satisfied and comfortable when dining in. I couldn’t work nowhere else, but sweetwater, cause of the family atmosphere.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
When the food isn’t ready in a timely fashion. And customers begin to complain.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Family and fast pace.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stress free

The people who work at Sweetwater are certainly a joy to be around.  The rushes of people coming into to eat can also be refreshing.  The one thing is that often times it seems personal life is put at a much lower priority than the company and at times it can cause conflict with things such as school, family emergencies, etc.  As someone not trying to create a career in the restaurant industry, those conflicts only served as setbacks for me with no give or take.

Everyone at Sweetwater is super friendly. The management has a great sense of humor and lots of energy.
This is a company goal oriented that is constantly thinking of new ideas to enhance itself.
Overall it's a great company to work for if you want a family environment that has your back.
However, taking time off is hard because you have to get your shifts covered. Which is a little obnoxious.

A good environment for high energy people who are not afraid of the work. Management has high standards that seem to change without warning, which can be very frustrating. "Guests" needs are the most important thing, so expect to not get much support from management if "guests" are being unreasonable. 
Really good money to be made on weekends, however. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Server 39 salaries reported	$1,250 per week
Bartender 25 salaries reported	$1,250 per week
Maintenance person 26 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Dishwasher 26 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Prep cook 85 salaries reported	$16.02 per hour

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