host/hostess

server

Tupelo Honey Cafe

Recently applied, interviewed, and was hired for a position with this company as a line cook on the fast track to a sous chef position.  Initially I was being brought on as a sous chef, but upon returning for my second interview that position was no longer available... because as Zachary Coleman put it, the company had grown too fast and they would be staffing the store with others promised positions at the new (yet postponed) location.  This should have been my first warning sign.

Sounded like a wonderful company to work for, although it turned out to be too good to be true.  Was brought on by Chef Ryan Moore and general manager Zachary Coleman, everybody was excited - I gladly filled out my i9 form as well as all tax paperwork, and direct deposit information... and put in my two weeks notice at my old job, somewhere I have been for 3 wonderful years.

One week prior to my projected orientation/training day I went in and confirmed all necessary information and was once again welcomed to the team and given a schedule for the next two weeks.  Fast forward a few days, I'm 3 days out from the last day at my job - old chef has hired a replacement , he starts tonight....  received a call from GM, Zachary Coleman informing me that he has checked my references and they will be recinding their offer.  Ok, what am I supposed to do?  Tuck tail and be humiliated.  Yes. That's it.  Huge waste of time, and after calling and checking my own references as a potential employer... can't find a negative one in the bunch.

Maybe I'm a sore loser, but I believe they are over-hiring, pretty common in this industry - but this situation was handled in a very poor manner.  Wanted to share my experience with any would-be applicants.

I adored my coworkers, lots of people came and went but I had pretty good relationships with them all. With COVID restrictions slowly being lifted, management gave no time to prepare and threw us all into 250+ head dinner services on weeknights. I'm a full time college student and was really behind in school. When I mentioned being overworked (but honestly not underpaid) I was begged with a raise to stay and put on the schedule for doubles that whole next weekend because it was a holiday. I almost had to check myself into a psych facility because of the combined stress of working here and trying to keep up with school. Also it's evident in the food quality that corporate loves cutting corners, it's honestly trash and I tell everyone I know to not go here unless they have a friend or family with an employee discount.
Oh and, we didn't forget when Payroll messed up our checks right before the Holidays and for those of us who were overpaid, we were punished and forced to pay back what we were overpaid. Some $500+. We are living paycheck to paycheck. Do your jobs, management and corporate! 
There's also favoritism in the fact that rude and terrible employees were kept around despite multiple complains against them bc the managers liked them. 

Management was/is very green and still not completely sure what they're doing. There were definitely good days; where everything clicked and everyone was on the same page, and we would get a whole day's work done in one shift. But they also hold people of the same position to different standards. The other Steward was able to get away with much, much more than I was, and though I felt that I did better work than he did (and many others, both in management and not, agreed with me), I was often penalized for what I considered to be trivial things. Overall, it was a generally pleasant experience, but constant worries about job security prevailed.

I did learn a lot about managing both people and time, and all managers were held accountable for the day by writing up "daily logs" at the end of each shift--I think this helped me become more responsible and better at intra-office communication. I never had any problems with my coworkers; they respected me enough to follow what I had laid out at the beginning of the day and I, in turn, showed that respect to them. When everything went smoothly, the job was a lot of fun and, frankly, quite rewarding and easy. The hardest part was trying to guess what whims the management would follow on that particular day.

I liked my co workers and I liked my immediate supervisor. However the hours were not flexible. Only very early hours were available. So I adapted. The days were pretty long, ten hours, and breaks were not provided because the state did not demand them. I feel that a company that cares about their employees should have provided breaks, even without laws forcing them to do so. Ten hours is doable but people need breaks.  At the time, the prep kitchen was a windowless basement room with no ventilation. It was often difficult to breathe and see through burning eyes when we were cooking large batches of pickles or spicy foods. The tiny room filled with fumes and with no ventilation, it was pretty terrible.  I hope this has changed by now.  All in all, I liked the people I worked with on a day-to-day basis, but the job itself was tedious, difficult, very uncomfortable at times, and did not properly compensate for what was expected of me. Sometimes you could be chopping the same vegetable for 5 hours. It just kinda sucked. I’veDone other prep positions and it wasn’t as tedious as all that. I left each day with burning eyes and lungs and feeling like a depressed zombie.  This was for the prep position, so I can only speak to that. Maybe it was better in other positions. I certainly hope so. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best and only good part about working for this company for two years was the delicious food and even that recipe changed for the worse overtime.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management is the most stressful part. They don’t care, dysfunctional, and blame workers for everything that goes wrong without accountability for their role.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The entire environment is fake, toxic, unorganized. They pretend to be for minorities and causes yet none of them are educated on anything dealing with cultures in general. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Typical day could be smooth and chaotic all at once. I was told by a manager that I was on the clock too long, when actually I clocked out and stayed an hour past my time to make sure side work was completed. I was told to manage my time better, no thank you or any appreciation. Someone always called out and I was always asked to fill in, which was confusing after being told I was on the clock too long.

What is the best part of working at the company?
They went well beyond the norm in supporting me and my family when my mom got sick and eventually passed away. By far the best company I've ever worked with and for. They truly care and support their employees in every way ❤️

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not getting 40 hours every week.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Team and family oriented. Everyone works together to achieve the ultimate goal, which is to provide the most memorable dining experience for all of the customers while providing the safest and most supportive work environment.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Even on the busiest days, Saturday and Sunday there's a true team mindset by everyone and management assures that everyone is fed and energetic to accomplish the goals for each day.

There is major favoritism and a lack of proper training. The menu is also very large and complex and you are expected to learn the entire thing in less than two weeks and if you can’t they will basically fire you…They originally hired me as a server, I went through weeks of server training. I felt as though I was ready to serve the only thing to work on was grasping the menu a little better (which comes with time and more experience) but after they put me through weeks of extensive training they ended it by telling me that they don’t think I am fit to be serving there and offered me a host position. I have prior serving experience, I know my abilities and know that I am a great server. They expect perfection very early on. Also the favoritism is so prevalent. If you haven’t been working there for years you basically are invisible. Just a very upsetting and strange experience at this place. Waste of time. 

I love working at Tupelo Denver for the fact that it isn't just a restaurant, its a family and a team of hard working individuals.  The company is one of the best restaurants I have had the pleasure of working for and the atmosphere and food make it even better.  And I can't leave out the management, they are some of the best individuals I've had the pleasure of working under.  We are all respected there, we work our butts off to provide excellent customer service at all times and always have a fun time while doing it.  Couldn't have asked for a better crew!  And not to mention the benefits that come along with all of it.  Paid time off, health and dental, tuition reimbursement, and 401K.  This has been my dream job in the serving world my entire career so far!

A bright and relaxed environment most of the time. They open for brunch at 9am on Saturday and Sunday, which is where the action is. Voted Best Brunch in America by DC Eats in 2018.
Every employee gets along great with each other. Drinks after work is very common.
The chefs on location know food, and can improvise on the spot to make something you've never seen in your life.
Being a newer location, there is still some structure/systems that is missing in some areas. This allows for flexibility but can also be annoying when dealing with an aspect in which there are no set standards.

The company also believes in investing in the long-term retention of good employees. There are many benefits like healthcare and pay raises, a guaranteed minimum hourly of ~$13/hr, credits for fitness programs, and more.

I enjoyed this place in the beginning and had high hopes because I love to be a server /bartender- since great service and hospitality is hard to find. I trained new hires and enjoyed it but the work attitude was so sad and negative. 
We had a morning huddle and breakfast from the kitchen. Not bad.
Every server had a be on time - 1 hour before opening-  but there were a few people who could show up whenever get a good section and eat food and never had to set up the restaurant. So unfair and unprofessional.
But after a few months and seeing how bad and selfish management was and food was giving out for free to employees and customers and others had to pay - I knew it was not a good situation and so they closed the location in may 2023. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Host/hostess 4 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour
Server 3 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour

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