sous chef

server

line cook

front of house manager

host/hostess

The Smith Restaurant

The company does not appropriately cut to close. The management staff wants 8 servers per shift. There’s a small restaurant. Once you see it, you’d see how highly unnecessary that is. If you’re seated a 10-too, it must be split with another server. My guess is, we’re incompetent and can’t handle it. While we were understaffed, we were allowed to get two people sections, but as soon as they utilized the help, of course they began to fully staff again. Oh, and don’t tell them you got another job because they don’t want you to excel anywhere else besides there. They want you to have weekend availability, but they’re not busy on the weekends. Brunch cocktails are included with brunch and if the guests argue with us about not wanting to pay because they don’t drink, they’re allowed coffee or juice. They give a lot of free things away. There’s barely any real ways to increase check averages besides what’s already listed on the menu. If you offer to add proteins to pasta, they tell you, “that’s not standard.” Making money isn’t standard? They think they’re being nice when asking, “do you want to train?” You say, “no. Please, no.” Guess who’s training. Bingo! You are! Your voice doesn’t matter. They also promised to staff that the pooling would be temporary, but it’s now permanent, obviously. Btw, if you put in your two weeks, you’re going to get fired. Take that with a grain of salt. The management staff always changes and they don’t mind speaking to us like we’re babies. Good luck!

As a hostess at one of the busiest restaurants in Manhattan, I was one of the first people to interact with some of the rudest and most difficult restaurant goers on Earth.  During my year there, I also had my fair share of clashes with specific managers due to the way certain situations were handled and various decisions made.
However difficult it may have been to make through some of my shifts with a smile on my face, working at The Smith Midtown definitely taught me many invaluable lessons in customer service, multitasking, and interpersonal communication.

A very high anxiety environment that caters more toward the hourly staff rather than the management staff that over sees them. This makes the disciplinary aspect of the job very stressful and daily tasks and construction difficult. In terms of creativity, there is not a lot of room for it due to the extreme high volume and continuous backtracking through there steps of service. The availability to grow in learning aspects of the restaurant that have never been introduced to you is a plus.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The team at The Smith feels like family. I loved the culture. The place is always busy so there's definitely good opportunities for making good money.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Just being super busy sometimes you get in the weeds but there's so much support from other staff and management. It really doesn't feel so stressful.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Excellent. You really feel at home... I really miss it but I was offered a position at another company that I couldn't turn down.

High volume, always moving environment, upper management is very supportive and will truly mentor you. Work/ life balance is very non-existent. You will be on your feet for all 10-12 hours of your shift and always moving, and making time for personal events can be difficult as you will always be working the majority of the day no matter what shift it is. However the culture they have created is what will keep you there, they genuinely care.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The staff and guest

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Lack of leadership from corporate office. They focus more on the NY locations than the DC location 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Lack luster. The lack of leadership on corporate level affects the management on the store level

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Khaos no real directions from leadership. The place the blame on new guys all the time.

Poor management, no communication with personal, they want you to work full time but don't give you more than 5 shifts, when doing doubles because someone call out they send you home before overtime comes so they don't have to pay. they move your schedule and give or take away shifts without consideration. there is no way a person can survive with one job working less than 36 hours.

The only good thing about the job is you can make good money as a server if you can bear it. Management is beyond rude and usually in a terrible mood. They offer full time in the interview but you barely make part time hours. A lot of favoritism as well. Would only recommend to hold you over until something better comes along. Coworkers are nice enough. Prepare to be overwhelmed by management and then left to fix the mess. 

GM was inconsiderate of my time and rights as a laborer. Work culture was cult-like. Tipshare rules were retooled unfairly to payout top earners, and marginalized people who were perfectly able and capable of earning for the night. With that said, the kitchen was extremely well run, with attention to detail, and emphasis on delivering consistent, high quality dishes.

The Restaurant was very busy, and being a host you have to go through all hundred or thousand people who come to the restaurant every day. The management is trained to care about their employees, they don't actually. The value of you as a person at work is completely disregarded. They can replace your job easily and they treat you like it. Your work safety is not cared about.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sous chef 22 salaries reported	$94,886 per year
Server 22 salaries reported	$17.14 per hour
Line cook 22 salaries reported	$20.48 per hour
Front of house manager 9 salaries reported	$80,556 per year
Host/hostess 11 salaries reported	$21.60 per hour

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