Olive Garden Italian Restaurants FAQ

Pros

Good benefits, discounted meals and some free meals with COVID-19 going on

Cons

Sometimes when the rush comes communication goes haywair

Pros

Good pay and benefits package

Cons

Work busy shifts alone with no other management support

Advice to Management

GM should be more involved in day to day business and not work 9-4 shifts only

Pros

Dental and vision benefits, cash tips daily, paid sick time, easy to request time off, half off food only if you order and eat it before or after your shift, we aren't allowed to take food home with us.

Cons

Currently the biggest con at OG is that they continue to hire new people, but can't give hours to the employees that have been there for awhile... this is definitely why their turnover rate is so high. I've been asking to be scheduled for four days a week for well over a year now, and yet here I am with 3 days a week, but they just hired another 3 servers last week. Also, the new company policy is to interview anyone that applies, so their just wasting a lot of people's time. Some days you will get sent home right away or even a couple hours into your shift if its slow. Even if the kitchen makes an extra plate on accident managers would rather throw it away than let an employee eat it, how wasteful. You aren't allowed to eat when you're at work. Generally speaking customers are very rude... the unlimited soup, salad and bread for $8.99 really brings out the cheapest customers with no manners. Which of course makes sense, low price point, low value customers. Also, the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks will keep you running to the kitchen and back to the table the whole time they are there... I've had multiple people eat 5+ bowls of soup, then still ask for more "free" soup, salad and bread to go, which isn't allowed, but if you try to enforce the rules it effects your tips negatively. Management also makes it mandatory for everyone to work all holidays; Veterans day, Mothers day, Fathers day, Valentines day... if you try to call in on those days you will get fired, even if you tell them ahead of time that you can't make it.

Advice to Management

Try paying a livable wage to your employees, you announced beginning of the year that all employees are now making $12 an hour, well turns out that excluded the servers... we make $9 an hour. Please stop making the hosts seat parties that aren't all there yet, at any other restaurant everyone has to wait until the whole party has arrived. Also, PLEASE do auto grat on parties over a certain size, it would be helpful. Just had a party of 8 the other night that were there for over 2 hours (the hosts sat them and cut me right after, the whole party wasn't there yet) Their total was $150 and they left me $2. Also, stop hiring new people and give hours to the employees that want to be there.

Pros

It has good benefits, friendly atmosphere, customizable schedule, pretty lenient on piercings or tattoos, etc.

Cons

Too much work for the tip you get. You're better off going to other restaurants to work because you do triple the work because of never ending soup and salad so you're better off going somewhere else for a serving job. Also the demand for alcohol sales when you can't force someone to order alcohol can be irritating too. Uniforms also are extremely hot, olive garden should change their uniforms to a cooler material for servers and bussers.

Pros

Good employee discount, steady business

Cons

Too much sidework and too many plates