general manager

restaurant general manager

assistant manager

cook

cashier

Zankou Chicken

Okay, so I got hired on the spot when I did my interview all the way back in March of 2019. The GM at the time was some lanky, tall guy and gave off a strong happy vibe, which is good since it was my first job but he left after two weeks or something. The assistant manager was practically in charge the majority of the time I worked here. It was a good thing I had a sense of humour because at first she seemed tough but by the final couple months that I worked here, she warmed up to me and was cool in general. The coworkers I had at the time were chill and I enjoyed having shifts with them. Yes, there are a couple of older ladies that also work as cashiers here so don’t expect to get that many hours during the morning shift. The customers here are little obtuse if they don’t get what they want. Also, the job is super easy you could probably do it while stoned. But, like, don’t lmao. I worked here for about six months and was actually sad to leave because I felt like I was cool with everyone except the cooks who I honestly couldn’t care less about besides a couple of them. Ahh, memories.

Working here left me completely burned out and unsupported. What started as a promising opportunity quickly turned into an exhausting and emotionally draining experience. The workload was overwhelming, expectations were often unrealistic, and there was little to no support from upper management when it mattered most.

Instead of addressing concerns or providing guidance, management consistently overlooked issues and left employees to figure things out on their own. It created an environment where stress was constant and appreciation was nonexistent.

For the level of effort, responsibility, and emotional strain required, the pay simply isn’t worth it. No job should come at the cost of your mental well-being, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what this one did for me.

I would strongly encourage leadership to take a hard look at how they support their staff, because without meaningful changes, burnout will continue to be a serious problem here.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Zankou has true passion for the food served. The company has a real passion for people and the development of the team. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Quickservice restaurants are inherently more work for a manager because the service staff is less connected to profit. Zankou had just tied a tip function to the cc process which will drive service. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I felt pride I'm my work, my team and the food and service we provided. The whole company takes pride in the mission. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
30% office, 70% on the floor.

Let’s start with the pros:
They pay is fair & there is definitely room for growth. Free lunch meals, the food is amazing. 

Cons: 
Management is in scrambles and that comes from the top. When corporate comes into the restaurants they nitpick the pettiest things and make brash decisions that don’t make sense on the fly. Terrible work environment, employees are able to act however they please with no consequences due to such a high turn around rate and being understaffed. It’s nice that they give people the opportunity to grow, however nobody will take the time to properly train the employees.

Zankou Chicken's food was great, no doubt about that. However, there was no air conditioning which was really annoying considering the fact that we all stand in front of a grill, a fryer, and 3 open flames. Even customers would ALWAYS comment about how incredibly hot it was.

My typical day at Zankou consisted of a busy fast-paced day. My co-workers and I got along very well. My customers had a smile on their face at the end of every transaction. I created a relationship with my customers and knew most of them by name. The most enjoyable part of my job was to interact with my customers and get to know them and their orders. The hardest part of my job was probably the first day because it was a busy day and I had to learn everything fast.

Love that it is family owned, so you don't feel like a number. It's not a corporate-y environment. Changes are made quickly, so you have to keep up. Strong focus on the food and service. Huge love for the brand when you wear the uniform... you feel the love. Free food that's delicious, good other benefits and good pay.

All of the managers have their clear favorites and treat them accordingly. There have been multiple times when I would hear that the managers were gossiping about me to others. And trying to publicly embarrass me. They would constantly ask me to stay later than I was supposed to but get angry when I would ask for more hours. After I asked for my off-day to be moved to the middle of the week for school, they cut 3 days out of my 6 day work week and cut hours from each day.

Theres no one to train you, you just learn along the way and watch videos to help understand the way things work. Manager is very toxic and doesnt work around school schedules even when things come up abruptly. Calling off when your very sick isnt an option. Criticizing but doesnt do anything to show or help you improve.

Very poorly operated and no real business strategy. 
A real lack of work/life balance for corporate employees. They are expected to work 6 days per week and long hours. 

Well behind when it comes to workplace culture and benefits. The culture isn't great with constant turnover.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
General manager 9 salaries reported	$87,222 per year
Restaurant general manager 1 salary reported	$90,000 per year
Assistant manager 34 salaries reported	$20.75 per hour
Cook 9 salaries reported	$18.62 per hour
Cashier 15 salaries reported	$18.52 per hour

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